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FEANK  HARPER; 


THE  COUNTEY-BOY  IN  TOWN 


/ 


J  {AWT  e  s    Wdd  n  £  i  i    /t  lex  a  n 


WKITTBN  FOK  THB  AMERICAN  SUNDAT-fCHOOL  UNI05,  A«! 
BKVISKD  BY  THE  COMMITHK  OF  PUBUCATIOfll 


PHILADELPHIA: 

AMERICAN    SUNDAY-SCHOOL   UNION, 

1122  Chestnut  Street. 


Entered  according  to  act  qf  CongresK,  tn  the  year  1S47,  fry  Thb 
Amkhican  Sunday-sch  001  D  moN,  in  the  ^nerWs  Office  of  the  Distnei 
Court  of  the  Eastern  District  qf  Pennsylvania. 


CONTENTS. 


I. — Coming  to  Town •      7 

II. — Temptation  and  Trouble    ...  .14 

III. — Youthful  Anxieties 21 

IV. — Resolutions  and  Reformation ...  29 

V. — Solitude  in  a  Crowd      .     .  .  .37 

VI.— The  Visit 45 

VII. — Thanksgiving-day 52 

VIII.— The  House  of  God 61 

IX.— The  Sunday-school  ....  .69 

X.— Early  Trials 78 

XI. — Courage 86 

XII. — Conviction 94 

XIII. — Correspondence 101 

XIV.— The  Pastor Ill 

XV — A  Remarkable  Change 124 

XVI.— Youthful  Activity    . 131 

XVII. — Disappointment  .     .         .         ...  141 

XVIIL— Conclusion 153 


FRANK  HARPER; 


THE  COUNTRY  BOY  IN  TOWN. 


CHAPTER  I 

COMING    TO     TOWN. 

It  was  Frank's  first  visit  to  a  great  city, 
Eind  he  looked  at  every  thing  with  wonder. 
The  noise  of  the  streets  seemed  to  deafen  him, 
and  he  scarcely  escaped  being  run  over  by  the 
tarts  and  drays. 

"  This,"  thought  he,  "is  New  York !  I  really 
did  not  think  it  was  so  large  !"  And  yet  what 
Frank  had  seen  as  yet  was  less  than  the  hun- 
dredth part  of  New  York.  But  the  rows  of  tall 
houses  were  so  long,  and  the  shop-windows 
were  so  fine,  and  the  sights  in  the  streets  were 

7 


8  FRANK   harper;    OR, 

SO  new  and  wonderful,  that  he  was  in  a  scAt 
of  rapture. 

After  Frank  had  spent  most  of  the  day  m 
rambling  about,  he  found  his  feet  very  sore 
and  his  whole  body  wearied.  After  taking 
tea,  he  was  shown  to  his  lodgings,  away  up  in 
the  attic  of  a  three-story  house.  Now  it  was, 
that  ne  began  to  feel  that  he  was  in  a  strange 
place.  Two  larger  boys  occupied  the  same 
little  chamber ;  they  were,  like  himself,  em- 
ployed in  stores,  in  John  street.  They  had 
already  gone  to  bed.  Frank  sat  down  a  few 
moments,  and  began  to  think  over  the  events 
of  the  busy  day,  which  seemed  to  him  like  a 
dream.  At  length,  he  opened  his  little  red 
trunk,  and  the  first  thing  he  saw  was  the 
pocket-bible,  which  his  mother  had  given 
him.  You  may  be  sure  some  tears  fell  upon 
it,  as  he  opened  it.  He  found  the  marker, 
which  his  sister  had  embroidered  for  him,  and 
read  on  it  the  words,  "  0  how  i  love  thy 
LAW !"  He  kneeled  down,  and  prayed  to  God, 
with  many  tears,  that  he  might  be  kept  and 


THE    COUNTRY    BOY    IN    TOWN.  9 

blessed,  now  that  he  was  separated  from  his 
parenl:s. 

Frank's  bed  was  not  so  good  as  the  one 
which  he  had  left  at  Coventry ;  and  he  was 
surprised,  for  he  thought  every  thing  would 
be  very  grand  in  the  great  city.  But  he  soon 
forgot  himself,  "and  slept,  (as  all  healthy  boys 
sleep,)  soundly  and  well,  until  the  day  dawned. 

It  was  a  bright  winter  morning,  and  Ned 
and  Joe  were  already  dressed.  They  did  not 
wait  for  Bible  or  prayer,  but  hurried  away  to 
their  stores.  Frank  had  time  only  to  read  a 
few  verses,  and  to  offer  a  short  prayer.  Boys 
in  the  city  must  rise  early,  or  they  will  lose 
their  devotions.  And  unless  they  form  the 
habit  at  first,  they  are  apt  to  have  prayerless 
days.  I  am  afraid  there  are  hundreds  who 
never  pray  at  all. 

The  next  thing  was  a  quick  walk,  or  rather 
run,  to  the  place  of  business.  Here  Frank 
Dad  to  kindle  a  coal-fire,  which  he  found  no 
easj  job,  and  then  to  open  the  store,  and  sweep 
and  aust  it  out.     Mr,  Boggs  ^ame  in  aooul 


10  FRANK    HAlPilR;    OR, 

nine  o'clock,  and  then  Frank  hurried  to  his 
breakfast.  It  was  the  first  breakfast  he  ever 
took,  without  family-prayer,  and  he  thought 
of  his  father,  mother  and  sisters.  He  ate 
fast ;  and,  to  tell  the  truth,  there  was  not 
much  to  eat.  His  mind  wandered  away  to 
the  full  table  in  the  country.  A  good  many 
persons  sat  at  the  table,  but  no  one  took  any 
notice  of  the  little  country-boy. 

It  would  take  long  to  tell  of  the  day's  work. 
Frank  was  kept  very  busy,  as  is  usual  with  the 
youngest.  He  was  sent  on  many  errands,  to 
strange  places,  and  several  times  lost  his  way : 
for  which  he  was  rebuked  by  his  employers, 
and  laughed  at  by  the  clerks  and  porter.  Once 
or  twice  he  was  brought  into  trouble  by  bad 
boys;  and  once  he  had  his  fist  doubled,  to 
strike  a  fellow  who  had  seized  him ;  but  he 
thought  better  of  it.  And  he  afterwards  found, 
that  the  wisest  plan  in  the  streets  is  to  go  about 
one's  business  as  quietly  as  possible.  He  was 
shocked  at  the  bad  language,  which  he  heara 
from  the  boys  even  younger  than  himself;  es- 


THE    COUNTRY    BOY    IN    TOWN.  J.i 

;pecmlly  from  those  who  carried  newspapers, 
and  from  ill-looking  chaps,  who  seemed  to 
have  no  work  to  do.  In  a  great  city,  it  is  im- 
possiole  to  avoid  hearing  such  things  ;  and  the 
only  way  for  a  good  boy  is  to  take  no  notice 
of  them,  except  to  set  the  mind  firmly  against 
such  evil  words,  asking  God's  help  to  be  kept 
clear  of  the  like  sin. 

During  the  few  moments  of  the  day  which 
he  had  to  himself,  and  was  waiting  for  his 
parcels  or  letters,  Frank's  mind  strayed  off 
to  his  country  home ;  and  he  sighed  to  think 
that  he  was  so  far  away.  But  he  comforted 
himself  by  remembering  what  his  father  had 
told  him,  at  partmg:  "My  son,  you  are  going 
to  a  strange  place  ;  but  if  you  are  faithful,  you 
will  be  able  to  support  your  mother  and  me, 
in  our  old  age."  And  then  he  said  to  him- 
self: "I  will  do  any  thing,  and  bear  an} 
thing,  to  help  my  beloved  parents." 

When  the  day  was  over,  and  the  work  oC 
;!he  store  was  done,  he  w^ent  slowly  to  his 
toarding-l  ouse,  weary  and  sad.     He  took  his 


12  FRANK   harper;    OR, 

hasty  meal  by  himself,  and  then  went  to  hb 
room.  Ned  and  Joe  were  in  high  glee, 
about  a  nine-pin-alley,  which  they  had  been 
visiting;  but  Frank  could  not  enter  into 
their  pleasure.  They  laughed  at  him,  when 
he  sat  down  to  his  Bible  ;  and,  for  a  moment, 
he  thought  he  would  shut  it  up.  But  then  he 
remembered,  how  often  his  mother  had  told 
him  "  never  to  be  shamed  out  of  what  was 
good,"  and  so  he  read  on.  He  was  after- 
wards glad  of  this ;  for,  in  a  little  time,  they 
grew  weary  of  their  jesting.  He  even  sum- 
moned up  resolution,  to  kneel  down  by  his 
bed,  and  pray;  though  Joe  sang  "Old  Dan 
Tucker,"  on  purpose  to  disturb  him,  and  Ned 
threw  a  bit  of  old  rag  over  his  head,  while  he 
was  on  his  knees.  I  cannot  say  that  poor 
Frank's  thoughts  did  not  wander  a  little  ;  but 
ne  thus  gained  a  great  victory  over  himself. 
The  boys  fixed  on  him  the  name  of  the  Par- 
son; and  gave  notice  at  the  table  that  he 
would  preach  tlie  next  Sunday      Frank  co- 


THE   COUNTRY   BOY   IN    TOVTf.  13 

loured  a  little,  but  was  wise  enoi  gh  to  say 
nothing. 

Let  the  reader  observe,  that  a  boy  who  is 
afraid  of  being  laughed  at,  will  never  become 
a  man  of  independence ;  and  a  boy  who  is 
laughed  out  of  his  prayers  will  be  very  likely 
to  be  laughed  out  of  many  other  good  habiu 
and  prmciples. 


14  FRANK   HABPER;    OR, 


CHAPTER  II. 

TEIIPTATION     AND     TROUBLE. 

A  FEW  weeks  passed  away,  and  Frank  hao 
become  quite  familiar  with  his  business.  His 
home-sickness  was  much  relieved.  He  had  re- 
ceived two  pleasant  letters  from  home,  which 
he  carefully  folded  up,  after  he  had  read  them 
about  twenty  times.  He  had  sent  a  knitting- 
basket  to  his  mother,  and  a  pair  of  gloves  to 
each  of  his  sisters.  It  was  becoming  easy  for 
him  to  find  his  way.  He  was  quite  at  home 
at  the  post-office,  the  wharves,  and  the  banks. 
Messrs.  Boggs  and  Buncombe,  his  employers, 
began  to  find  that  he  was  always  in  his  place  ; 
the  clerks  saw  that  he  was  good-natured ;  and 
Wickes,  the  book-keeper,  had  even  gone  so 
far  as  to  give  him  a  second-hand  pinchbeck 
watch,  which  kept  tolerable  time  if  carefully 
set  every  morning. 


THE    COUNTRY   BOY    IN    TOWN  l5 

But  trouble  was  near.  And  let  me  tell  m^ 
young  reader,  no  youth  in  town  can  escape 
trouble.  One  very  cold  night,  when  he  came 
home  from  the  store,  he  found  Briggs  and 
Denton  waiting  for  him  at  the  door. 

"Come,  my  lad,"  said  Denton,  "we  are 
going  to  the  Bowery  Theatre,  and  we  mean 
to  take  you  along." 

"  I  thank  you,"  said  Frank,  "  but  I  do  not 
wish  to  go." 

"  Not  wish  to  go  !"  cried  he  ;  "  and  why 
not  ?  It  shall  cost  you  nothing ;  we  are  going 
to  treat.     You  shall  go,  Mr.  Parson." 

To  make  an  unpleasant  story  short,  they 
persuaded  Frank,  against  his  convictions.  He 
went.  Their  seat  was  in  the  gallery,  and  he 
found,  to  his  sorrow,  that  he  was  among  bad 
men  and  bad  women.  He  saw  and  heard  things 
that  night  which  made  him  sure  that  it  was  a 
wicked  place.  For  a.  few  moments,  the  no- 
velty of  the  thing  pleased  him.  He  listened 
to  charming  musio.  He  saw  fine  players, 
decked  and  painted ;  and  he  was  astonisl  ed 


16  FRANK    harper;    OR, 

at  iie  scenery  and  the  dancing.  But  he  also 
saw  and  heard  things  which  he  knew  were 
neither  modest  nor  virtuous;  and  his  heart 
was  full  of  the  conviction  that  he  was  in  the 
wrong  place.  When  they  came  out,  in  a  great 
3rowd,  about  eleven  o'clock  at  night,  he 
turned  to  the  boys  and  said:  "Now  mind 
what  I  say — this  is  the  first  time  I  ever  was 
in  a  theatre — and  it  shall  be  the  last." 

This  raised  a  loud  laugh.  "Aha!"  said 
Ned,  "  do  you  say  so  ?  Very  well,  so  we  said, 
three  years  ago ;  but  we  have  got  well  over 
that ;  haven't  we,  Joe  ?" 

"  Yes,"  answered  Joe,  "  I  go  to  the  theatre 
every  week  ;  and  some  day  I  will  tell  you 
where  we  get  the  money.  And  there  are  other 
plac  es,  too,  where  we  mean  to  take  you ;  mind 
that,  Mr.  Parson." 

These  words  opened  Frank's  eyes  ;  he  began 
to  see  his  danger,  and  was  more  firmly  re- 
solved to  resist  these  temptations.  He  thought 
ever  several  texts  of  Scripture,  and  wished  he 
had  remembered  them  a  little  sooner.     How 


THE  COUNTRY  BOY  IN  TCWN.      a7 

solemnly  his  aged  father  had  said  to  him,  <<  My 
son,  if  sinners  entice  thee,  consent  thou  not.' 

When  they  reached  their  boarding-house 
in  Dey  Street,  the  boys  found  that  they  were 
locked  out;  for  it  was  near  midnight.  The 
noise  of  wheels  had  almost  ceased  in  Broad 
way,  and  the  only  sound  they  heard  was  the 
sharp  cHck  of  the  watchman's  staff  upon  the 
flag-stones. 

Presently  the  heavy  sound  of  the  City-Hall 
bell  began  to  give  the  signal  of  a  fire.  Almost 
immediately  the  engines  were  out,  and  a 
crowd  began  to  gather.  Ned  and  Joe  were 
soon  among  the  throng,  and  Frank  saw  no- 
thing to  do  but  to  join  them.  Before  they 
reached  the  place  of  the  fire,  Joe  Denton 
stumbled  over  a  rope,  and  in  recovenng  him- 
self thrust  his  elbow  into  the  eye  of  a  fireman, 
who  struck  him  a  smart  blow.  Joe  and  Ned 
were  soon  engaged  in  a  brawl  with  the  fire- 
men ;  and  Frank  was  trying  to  pull  them 
away,  when  all  on  a  sudden,  he  felt  his  arm 

TOughly  seized,  and  looking  round  perceived 

2* 


18  FRANK   harper;    OR, 

tnat  /le  was  in  the  hands  of  a  sturdy  man, 
whose  gilt  star  showed  that  he  was  one  of  the 
pohce.  <<  Come,  my  young  blade,"  said  the 
officer,  "  I  must  give  you  a  lodging ;  you 
begin  early.  I  guess  your  mother  does  not 
know  you're  out  ?" 

The  very  word  "mother"  went  to  poor 
Frank's  heart.  "  Indeed,  indeed,  sir,"  said  he, 
"  I  am  not  doing  any  harm — I  did'nt  want  to 
be  here — I  was  only  trying  to  get  those  big 
boys  home." 

"  0  yes,  the  old  story — I've  heard  the  like 
Defore.  Nobody  is  never  doing  no  hi^rm.  But 
I'll  take  care  of  you.     Wliat  is  your  name  ?" 

"Frank  Harper." 

«  Where  do  you  live  ?" 

<<I  am  in  Boggs  and  Buncombe's  storCj 
John  Street." 

"  Where  do  you  live  ?" 

« I  board  at  Mrs.  Maggs's,  Dey  Street,  near 
Washington." 

"Well — come  on:"  so  he  hurried  him 
ii!ong,  and  soon  arrived  at  the  watchhouse. 


THE    COUNTRY    BOY   IN    TO^.VN  19 

Here  he  was  filled  with  horror,  to  find  him- 
self in  a  close  room,  heated  by  a  stove,  almost 
red  hot,  and  occupied  by  three  drunken  va- 
grants, and  a  woman  of  tawdry  dress,  and  very 
^ed  countenance.  It  was  a  night  of  wretch- 
edness. In  the  morning,  the  chief  clerk  of 
Messrs.  Boggs  and  Buncombe,  having  heard 
of  the  boy,  appeared  for  him,  and  had  him  re- 
leased. Poor  Frank  could  scarcely  bear  the 
looks  of  his  employers  ;  but  he  told  them  the 
whole  truth.  The  clerks  had  their  sport  about 
it;  but,  what  was  most  hard  to  bear,  the 
larger  boys,  who  had  betrayed  him  into  the 
snare  and  then  escaped,  made  fun  of  his  dis- 
tress, almost  every  day,  for  weeks  after. 

This  is  not  an  uncommon  occurrence  in  a 
great  city.  There  are  lads  who,  in  trying  to 
brave  the  rif^icule  which  comes  on  them,  after 
such  things,  only  become  more  hardened.  I 
nm  glad  to  say  it  was  not  so  with  Frank. 
He  was  confirmed  in  his  determination  to 
keep  out  of  bad  company,  and  especially, 
revel-  to  be  out   at  night.     These  hours  of 


20  FRANK   HARPER  ;    OR, 

hunger,  fear,  shame,  and  imprisonment,  and 
the  disgrace  which  followed,  were  a  lesson  to 
him  as  long  as  he  lived. 

Most  of  the  evils  which  befall  youth  in  a 
great  city  are  connected  with  the  streets.  It 
is  hardly  possible  for  a  boy  to  be  much  out  at 
night,  without  becoming  depraved.  The  only 
safe  rule  is,  to  stay  within  doors.  Yet  it  is 
wonderful  to  observe,  that  you  can  scarcely 
walk  the  streets,  at  any  hour  before  midnight, 
without  meeting  p^imbers  of  boys,  even  of 
tender  years.  They  are  to  be  found  in  gangs 
about  the  doors  of  the  Circus  and  Theatre,  anu 
sometimes  the  money  which  gains  them  en- 
trance is  procured  by  theft. 


THE   COUNTRY   BOY    IN    TOWT«",  21 


CHAPTER  m. 

YOUTHFUL    ANXIETIES. 

It  was  on  a  bright  Saturday  evening  in  De- 
cember, that  Frank  had  an  errand  to  the  foot 
of  Chambers  street,  to  receive  some  parcels 
by  the  steamboat  from  Peekskill.  The  boat 
was  delayed,  and  this  gave  him  half  an  hour 
to  himself,  which  was  unusual.  He  spent  i: 
in  walking  upon  the  pier,  looking  at  the  dark, 
rapid  waves,  crested  with  light  foam,  at  the 
numerous  craft  of  the  river,  and  especially  at 
the  low  hills  of  hi^  native  Jersey,  behind  which 
the  sun  had  just  gone  down,  leaving  all  the 
west  in  a  blush  with  the  evening-red. 

Frank  was  not  less  cheerful  commonly  thai? 
other  boys  of  his  age,  but  late  events  had  made 
him  serious.  He  looked  across  the  river  to  the 
hills,  in  the  direction  where  he  thought  the  little 


22  FRANK  harper;  or, 

village  of  Coventry  must  lie.  He  bought  of 
his  father:  "I  suppose  he  is  now  getting  home 
the  cattle,  and  making  an  end  of  the  week's 
work.  Mother  is  preparing  every  thing  for 
Sunday.  Mary  and  Anne  are  looking  over 
Jie  clothes  ;  or  perhaps  hearing  one  another 
say  the  Sunday-school  lesson.  And  here  am 
I — by  myself — and  in  disgrace  !"  Here  the 
little  boy  took  out  his  blue  handkerchief,  to 
wipe  his  eyes  ;  but  he  wept  the  more,  when  he 
saw  on  the  corner  of  it  the  mark  wrought  by 
his  mother's  needle.  "I  am  sorry,  I  am 
sorry  !"  said  he,  <'I  have  done  wrong — I  have 
mdeed — but  I  hope  I  have  not  done  as  wrong 
as  people  think."     And  he  wept  the  more. 

Be  not  cast  down,  my  young  friend ;  these 
are  manly  tears  !  Let  every  youth,  who  reads 
these  hnes,  know,  that  sorrow  for  sin  is  no- 
thing to  be  ashamed  of. 

As  Frank  turned  hastily,  on  reaching  the 
corner  of  the  pier,  he  found  himself  met  by  a 
young  man  of  grave  appearance,  and  kind 
looks,  who  spoke  to  him  in  a  civil  toae,  and 


THE   COUNTRY    BOY   IN    TOWN.  23 

said,  "Good  evening,  my  boy!  So  I  see  you 
nave  business  here,  as  well  as  myself." 

Frank  had  not  been  accosted  in  a  tone  so 
pleasant,  for  many  a  day.  He  felt  as  if  he 
had  almost  met  a  friend.  "  Yes,  sir,"  he  re- 
plied, "lam  waiting  for  the  Mountaineer ;  I 
am  to  get  some  parcels  by  one  of  the  hands 
of  the  boat." 

"My  business  is  with  the  same  boat,"  said 
the  stranger ;  "  but  it  is  not  so  pleasant.  I 
am  looking  for  news  of  a  lad  who  has  robbed 
our  store,  and  has  been  pursued  up  the  river 
by  an  officer." 

"Ah!  I  hadn't  heard  of  it.  It  is  bad 
enough  when  boys  get  to  robbing." 

"  Bad  enough,  indeed  ;  but  it  is  becoming 
too  common.  This  young  fellow  broke  open 
the  safe  of  Mr.  Brown' /3y,  and  took  a  pocket- 
book,  with  four  hundred  dollars,  and  papers 
worth  five  times  as  much.  New  York  boys 
are  getting  to  be  men  in  wickedness.  Do 
you  live  in  town.''" 


24  FRANK  harper;  or, 

<«  Yes,"  said  Frank,  "  I  do  now  ;  but  I  have 
not  oeen  here  long.     I  am  a  country  boy." 

"  Then,"  said  the  other,  "  let  me  give  you 
a  bit  of  advice,  my  young  friend.  /  was  a 
country  boy  too,  not  long  ago,  and  I  know 
something  of  the  dangers  f^  the  city.  Take 
care  of  had  companions. ^^ 

This  he  said  with  so  much  seriousness,  and 
with  a  look  of  so  much  cordiality,  that  Frank 
was  encouraged  to  say :  "  I  have  found  out 
already  what  a  bad  thing  it  is  to  go  with 
wicked  boys." 

'« It  is  a  good  sign,  to  hear  you  say  so. 
Forewarned  is  forearmed.  And  as  you  seem 
to  be  aware  of  the  danger,  you  must  let  me 
put  these  tracts  into  your  hands.  You  must 
read  them.  And  if  you  will  call  at  our  store, 
I  will  give  you  more.  My  name  is  Brooks ; 
and  1  am  a  teacher  in  the  Sunday-school  of 
the  Locust  street  church." 

Just  then  the  boat  came  in  sight.  Frank 
received  his  packages,  and  was  soon  on  his 
way  down  town.     But  as  he  walked  along,  hfjr 


THE   COUNTRY   BOY   IN  TOWN.  25 

tfiought  on  the  few  words  he  had  heard.  There 
was  nothing  in  them,  which  he  had  not  known 
before ;  and  yet  they  had  made  a  deep  impres- 
sion on  his  mind.  This  should  encourage  us 
always  to  drop  a  good  word  to  young  persons, 
when  we  have  an  opportunity.  Some  have 
thus  been  instrumental  in  saving  a  soul  from 
death. 

That  night  Frank  lay  awake  upon  his  bed, 
thinking  over  his  conduct.  He  could  not  re- 
proach himself,  except  in  regard  to  his  sinful 
compliance  about  the  theatre.  But  this  hurt 
his  conscience,  and  made  him  think  of  other 
faults.  So  it  often  is.  Thinking  on  one 
transgression  is  likely  to  make  us  think  of 
other  sins.  "How  I  wonder  at  myself," 
thought  he.  "I  was  ashamed  to  say  No. 
Now  I  remember  what  our  minister  used  to 
say,  ^Boys,  if  you  mean  to  make  any  thing  in 
the  world,  learn  to  say  no.'  Now  I  know  what 
he  meant.  I  was  ashamed — I  was  cowardly 
—I  knew  better !"  And  here  his  thoughts  be- 
3 


26  FRANK    HARPtR  ;    OR, 

gan  t3  turn  into  prayer,  and  he  asked  God  tG 
paraon  his  sins. 

Frank  had  been  piously  educated,  by  ex- 
cellent pareuts,  and  he  knew  what  was  right. 
But  he  also  knew  that  he  had  never  experi- 
enced that  great  change,  which  the  Scriptures 
call  being  <born  again.'  A  long  time  before 
it  was  day,  while  Joe  and  Ned  were  fast  asleep, 
this  little  boy,  wrapped  in  his  cloak,  was 
Kneeling  down  in  the  corner  of  his  cold  garret- 
room,  praying  to  God.  Though  not  seen  by 
men,  he  was  seen  by  angels,  and  by  God. 
Happy  is  the  youth  w^ho  sometimes  steals 
time  even  from  slumber,  for  such  a  pur- 
pose. 

The  next  day  was  the  Sabbath.  The  poor 
fellow  had  ro  one  to  direct  him  to  a  place 
of  worship.  It  is  a  pity  that  so  many  youth 
are  cast  upon  a  great  and  wicked  city,  just  in 
this  way.  Frank  did  what  many  do,  and 
what  he  had  done  on  other  Sabbaths.  He 
wandered  about  the  streets  looking  for  a  church. 
He  went   into  one :    it   was   crowded   with 


THE    COUNTRY    BOY    IN   TOWN.  21 

people.  The  house  was  full  of  the  fames  of 
incense ;  he  saw  pictures  and  crosses,  and 
heard  prayers  in  a  strange  tongue :  he  did 
not  remain  long. 

He  approached  another;  many  coaches 
were  drawn  up  before  it.  The  pews  were 
filled  with  rich-looking  people.  There  was  a 
very  young  man  in  the  pulpit,  who  was  preach- 
ing about  the  evils  of  enthusiasm.  Frank 
grew  tired  of  standing,  and  came  out.  After 
roaming  through  several  streets,  he  came  to 
an  old-fashioned  building,  and  on  entering 
was  shown  to  a  seat  in  tb'cj  gallery.  The  mi- 
nister was  just  finishing  hi.s  iermon,  and  Frank 
heard  him  several  timef  repeat  these  words : 
"  Who  can  understand  his  errors  ?  Cleanse 
thou  me  from  secret  faults."  He  found  that 
they  were  in  the  nineteenth  psalm.  "That 
means  me .'"  thought  Frank.  So  he  went  home 
musing  upon  it.  The  words  rang  in  his  ears. 
« Cleanse  thou  me  from  secret  faults."  He 
preached  quite  a  little  sermon  to  himself,  and 
turned  the  words  into  prayer      When  he  got 


28  FRANX  harper;  or, 

to  the  house  he  committed  the  whole  psalm  to 
memory.  I  cannot  say  that  he  felt  true  re- 
pentance, but  he  certainly  saw  more  of  his  sins 
than  he  had  ever  seen  before.  Where  he  had 
thought  there  was  one,  he  now  beheld  a  thou- 
sand. Thus  God  was  causing  him  to  «  un- 
derstand his  errors."  Reader,  have  you  any 
knowledge  of  this .'' 


THE   COUNTRY   BOY   IN    TOWN.  ^ 


CHAPTER  IV. 

RESOLUTIONS   AND    REFORMATION. 

Monday  morning  is  a  time  when  industrious 
people  feel  uncommonly  bright.  Every  thing 
seems  to  take  a  fresh  start.  The  body  and 
mind  both  have  had  rest,  and  they  w^ork  witl 
a  sort  of  spring.  This  is  the  good  effect  of  the 
Sabbath.  Those  do  not  feel  thus,  who  spend 
holy  time  in  labour  or  frolic. 

On  that  Monday,  (the  fourih  of  December,) 

Frank  was  up  bright  and  early.     He  had  got 

leave  of  Mrs.  Maggs  to  kindle  a  fire  in  the 

dining-room,  in  the  basement ;  and  theie  you 

might  have  seen  him,  at  a  table,  with  a  dipped- 

candle  which  he  had  bought,  and  with  pen  and 

ink,  very  busy  over  a  sheet  of  paper.  What  can 

our  Frank  be  doing  ?     Surely  he  is  not  about 

to  make  a  book !     Perhaps  it  is  a  letter. — No 

such  thing.     At  the  top  of  the  sheet,  he  haa 
3* 


30  FRANK    HARPER  ;    OR, 

writteL,  in   fair  round-hand,  like    a  ledger, 
chese  words : 

"  My  Resolutions. 

«I.  Resolved, — that  I  will  go  to  church 
every  Sunday  morning  and  afternoon. 

"II.  Resolved, — that  I  will  read  in  my 
Bible. 

"  III.  Resolved, — that  I  will  become  as  good 
as  ever  Ican.'^^ 

Poor  Frank  !  His  face  is  all  in  a  glow  of 
earnestness !  Shall  we  blame  him  for  his 
resolutions  ?  No,  no !  The  things  are  all 
good — very  good.  But  perhaps  he  may  find 
that  it  is  more  easy  to  resolve  than  to  per- 
form. 

Our  little  man  had  set  out  in  the  week  with 
such  a  vehemence  cf  purpose,  that,  if  you  had 
been  in  the  secret,  you  might  have  read  deter- 
mination in  his  very  face.  He  even  composed 
his  countenance  to  unusual  sobriety.  He 
feared  to  speak,  lest  he  should  utter  some- 
thing wror.g.     He  was  resolved  not  to  lose 


THE    COUNTRY   BOY   IN    TOWN.  31 

liis  temper.  He  did  his  errands  in  half  the 
usual  time.  He  felt  so  much  need  of  being 
honest,  that  he  returned  a  piece  of  twine, 
which  he  had  previously  taken  from  a  shelf. 
He  read  several  chapters  in  the  Bible,  and 
said  his  prayers  with  more  attention  than  ever 
before.  In  a  word,  Frank  began  to  feel  as  if 
he  was  almost  as  good  a  boy  as  he  was  re- 
quired to  be. 

In  the  evening,  as  they  were  all  sitting 
around  the  fire,  the  company  were  chatting, 
laughing,  cracking  nuts,  and  singing;  but 
Frank  was  very  grave  and  silent.  He  felt  as 
if  he  was  better  than  all  around  him.  They 
wondered  what  had  come  over  him,  and 
thought  he  was  sulky.  Indeed  it  had  much 
of  that  appearance.  But  he  was  trying  to 
make  himself  good.  At  length,  as  he  was 
going  up  stairs,  with  his  night  lamp,  the 
thought  came  suddenly  into  his  head :  "  Why, 
all  this  is  very  much  like  the  Pharisees  P*  It 
was  too  true.  He  said  over  the  words,  "  Who 
can  understand  his  errors  V*     «  Ah,"  said  he 


32  FRANK    HARPER  ;    OR, 

to  himself,  "  I  am  afraid  I  have  not  got  rid  ol 
the  <  secret  faults'  yet."  He  felt  that  he  was 
proud.  Perhaps  th  s  is  what  is  called  self- 
righteousness.  Such  were  his  thoughts,  and 
so  far  they  were  undoubtedly  right. 

When  he  came  to  his  room,  the  opening  of 
the  door  awakened  his  two  companions,  who 
were  not  at  all  pleased  with  the  interruption. 
Ned  turned  over  with  some  violence,  and  gave 
Frank  a  very  hard  name.  This  did  not  please 
him,  especially  as  he  was  more  exalted  in  his 
own  opinion  than  usual ;  he  therefore  replied, 
in  a  tone  which  immediately  struck  him  as 
not  being  exactly  proper.  Ned  was  now  dis- 
pleased in  his  turn,  and  they  were  soon  en- 
gaged in  a  boyish  quarrel. 

"You  are  pretty  fellows,"  said  Ned,  "to 
be  out  till  this  hour  of  the  night,  and  then  to 
come  stamping  in,  waking  up  those  that  are 
trying  to  sleep." 

Frank  was  nettled,  but  he  commanded  him- 
self enough  to  reply :  "  Now,  Ned,  you  know 


THE  COUNTRY  BOY  IN  TOWN.      33 

rery  well  that  I  havn't  been  out  of  doors  to- 
night." 

"  Ha !  ha !  A  pretty  story,  indeed !  How 
do  I  know  but  you  have  been  spending  an 
nour  at  the  theatre,  or  may  be  at  the  w^atch- 
nouse  ?     Eh  !  Master  Parson." 

This  was  rather  more  than  Frank  could 
bear.  <'  You  should  not  say  it,  any  how. 
Did  you  not  persuade  me  ?  Did  you  not  almost 
force  me  there  ?  And  then  did  you  not  leave 
me  in  the  lurch  ?  I  can  tell  you  one  thing — 
I  am  never  going  again ;  and  I  can  tell  you 
another  thing — wherever  I  go,  I  will  go  with 
my  own  money." 

This  was  a  home-thrust,  foi  Ned  had,  only 
that  very  day,  purloined  a  quarter  of  a  dollar 
from  his  employers,  and  his  evil  conscience 
made  him  feel  as  if  he  had  been  found  out. 
So  he  flew  out  of  the  bed,  knocked  the  lamp 
out  of  Frank's  hand,  and  seized  him  by  the 
collar.  There  is  no  telling  what  might  have 
Deen  the  result,  as  the  little  country  boy  was 
very  resolute  and  very  angry;  but  Joe  had 


t34  FRANK  harpee;  cr, 

waked  up,  in  the  mean  time,  and  being 
stronger  than  either,  pulled  them  apart,  say- 
ing, "  Let  him  alone,  Ned  ;  you  know  we  have 
got  him  into  one  scrape  already ;  and,  what  is 
more,  the  less  you  have  to  do  with  him  the 
better." 

It  was  long  before  Frank  could  compose 
himself  for  sleep.  He  had  sunk  in  his  own 
estimation.  He  had  flown  into  a  passion, 
and  had  been  almost  engaged  in  a  fight.  Arid 
this  had  happened  to  him,  on  the  very  di  r 
when  he  had  made  such  good  resolutions  ? 
Yet  he  did  not  see  the  whole  evil.  He  fell 
ashamed  and  sorry  for  these  particular  faults, 
which  many  persons  would  think  no  faults 
at  all ;  but  he  did  not  clearly  perceive  that  the 
root  of  the  evil  was  within.  If  the  temptation 
had  come  upon  him  in  another  shape,  it  is 
likely  he  would  have  fallen  in  a  diflerent  man- 
ner. The  source  of  all  was  an  evil  nature- 
and  an  unregenerate  heart,  which  would  have 
led  him  to  the  greatest  sins,  but  for  the  pre 
venting  grace  of  God. 


THE   COUNTRY   BOY   IN    TOWN.  35 

The  next  day  Frank  was  unhappy.  He 
felt  humbled  in  his  own  eyes.  His  companions 
would  not  speak  to  him ;  but  this  did  not 
trouble  him  half  so  much  as  his  own  sense  of 
something  wrong  \vithin.  "How  strange!" 
said  he  to  himself,  <<  that  just  at  the  time  when 
I  was  trying  to  be  so  good,  I  should  break  out 
into  such  tempers,  and  even  go  to  bed  without 
a  thought  of  prayer. 

In  one  of  the  upper  lofts  of  the  store,  there 
was  a  dark  corner,  where  the  porter,  a  man 
of  colour,  used  to  keep  an  old  Bible.  Frank 
sometimes  saw  him  sitting  there,  on  a  box  or 
a  bale  of  goods,  with  a  pair  of  rusty  specta- 
cles, trying  to  spell  out  a  few  verses.  Cato 
was  a  poor  leader;  and  this  made  Frank 
sometimes  take  the  book,  and  read  aloud  to 
)iim.  On  the  day  we  are  speaking  of,  he 
found  the  old  man  at  his  isual  task.  He  was 
puzzling  over  the  seventh  chapter  of  Romans. 
Frank  very  kindly  took  the  book,  and  soon 
-ame  to  these  wor  is :  «  For  the  good  that  I 


36 


FRANK    HARPER  ;    OR, 


would,  I  do  not;  but  the  evil  which  I  wouic 
not,  that  I  do." 

"Do  you  know  what  that  means?"  said 
Frank. 

«  Yes,  indeed,  sir,"  answered  the  old  man  , 
"I  understand  it  too  well:  and  if  you  evei 
undertake  to  be  good,  in  your  own  strength, 
you  will  know  what  it  means,  too." 

These  few  words  of  the  coloured  porter 
sunk  into  his  mind.  This  was  an  exact  de- 
scription of  his  own  case.  He  had  been  un- 
dertaking to  he  good  in  his  own  strength  ;  and 
he  had  learned  his  own  weakness  ;  and  found 
out  that  a  resolution  is  a  very  different  thing 
from  a  reformation. 


TME  COUNTRY  BOY  IN  TOWN.      37 


CHAPTER  V. 

SOLITUDE     IN    A    CROWD. 

Do  you  think  anybody  can  feel  lonely  in 
Buch  a  city  as  New  York,  where  there  are 
hundreds  and  thousands  of  people  ?  Yes,  it 
is  possible ;  and  our  Frank  felt  it  to  be  his 
own  case,  as  many  a  country  boy  has  done 
before  him.  He  met  hundreds  after  hundreds 
in  the  streets ;  almost  always  looking  brisk 
and  animated,  and  often  conversing  and  seem- 
ing happy.  But  as  for  him,  he  was  alone. 
No  one  cared  for  him ;  scarcely  any  one  spoke 
to  him.  His  employers  never  said  a  word  to 
him,  except  to  give  him  orders.  It  was  the 
same  with  the  elder  clerks.  The  younger 
lads  held  their  heads  too  high,  to  have  much 
to  do  with  him ;  and  their  profane  Janguage 
made   him  willing  to    avoid  them.      At  his 


3§  FRANK   harper;    OR, 

lodgings,  he  found  no  one  who  took  the  least 
mterest  m  him. 

It  is  one  of  the  great  evils  of  our  city  busi- 
ness, that  the  young  men  who  are  employed 
tn  stores  and  shops  cannot  be  said  to  have 
•my  home,  except  in  cases  where  they  live 
with  their  parents.  Where  shall  a  poor  boy 
go,  when  work  is  over  ?  To  the  store  ?  It  is 
locked  up.  To  the  house  of  his  employer? 
He  would  as  soon  think  of  going  to  the  house 
of  the  Mayor.  To  his  boarding-house  par- 
lour ?  He  is  not  expected  there,  and  would 
often  find  no  welcome.  To  his  own  chamber  ? 
It  is  small,  dark  and  cold.  In  truth,  he  has 
no  home !  And  hence  the  temptation  is  so 
much  the  greater,  to  spend  the  evenings  in 
bad  places. 

Frank  felt  all  this ;  and  often  did  he  think 
how  different  it  was  at  Coventry.  Father, 
mother,  and  sisters  were  all  gathered  around  the 
fire  ;  neighbours  were  dropping  in ;  good  things 
were  served  round;  there  were  kind  books 
\nd  gentle  w^ords.     Oh,  let    lo  boy  desire  to 


THE    COUNTRY   BOY    IN   TOWN.  39 

lesive  his  father's  house,  until  called  away  bv 
a  plain  duty ! 

One  evening  Frank  felt  the  need  of  a  walk ; 
go  he  put  on  his  coat,  and  proceeded  up  Broad- 
way. This  crowded  street  was  brilliant  with 
gas.  The  shop- windows  were  far  more  showy 
than  by  day ;  and  the  multitude  of  persons 
was  greater.  Now  and  then,  he  would  stop 
before  a  brighter  lamp  than  usual ;  it  was  at 
some  Oyster-saloon,  Refectory,  Bowling-gal 
lery,  or  Cafe.  These  are  the  names  given  to 
various  grog-shops.  They  are  well  lighted 
and  well  warmed,  and  hold  out  a  powerful 
inducement  to  the  shivering,  the  lonely,  and 
the  sad.  But  those  who  go  there  to  drink 
away  their  sorrows  are  almost  sure  to  perish, 
soul  and  body.     Frank  passed  by. 

Next  he  came  to  Park-Row,  and  stood  be- 
fore the  theatre.  The  row  of  lamps  was 
bright.  He  could  catch  the  sounds  of  fine 
music.  Gay-looking  people  were  going  in  or 
coming  out.  A  crowd  of  boys  surroundec' 
the  entrance,  eager  to  be  admitted  and  cla- 


40  FRANK    HARPER  ;    OR, 

mouring  for  checks.  Frank  remembered  the 
great  posting-bills  which  had  told  of  the 
A^onders  to  be  seen  and  heard ;  but  he  passed 
on,  feeling  very  solitary. 

As  he  went  further  and  further,  he  found 
the  grog-shops  more  numerous  ;  the  windows 
less  rich ;  the  houses  poorer ;  and  the  liquors 
more  pubHcly  displayed.  At  open  doors  he 
could  hear  the  sound  of  merriment  wdthin. 
He  saw  boys  of  his  own  age  coming  out  of 
these  shining  rooms,  full  of  gayety,  and  knew 
how  easy  it  w^ould  be  to  go  in  himself.  0 
parents !  who  send  tender  youth  to  cities,  can 
ve  wonder  that  they  fall  into  these  snares! 
Frank  felt  very,  very  lonesome  ;  but  he  passed 
on. 

Weary  of  rambling,  he  a  length  turned  to 
go  home.  A  poor  ragged  boy  offered  him  a 
small  box  saying,  "  Three  for  two  cents — 
matches — please  buy — please  buy — I  am  hun- 
gry."— "  Other  people  are  in  trouble,  besides 
me,"  thought  Frank.  He  declined  buying, 
and  the  child  gave  him  a  volley  of  curses.    It 


THE   COUNTRY   BOY    IN    TOWN.  4] 

shocked  the  country  boy  to  hear  such  words, 
and  made  him  even  more  afraid  than  before, 
to  make  street  acquaintances. 

Old  Cato  once  said  to  him :  <»  Mr.  Frank, 
what  is  the  reason  that  I  never  see  you  with 
any  playmates  ?" 

"I  have  no  playmates,  Cato.  I  used  to 
have  plenty  of  them  in  the  country,  but  I  am 
a  stranger  here.' 

"  Have  you  got  no  friends  ?" 

«'  Not  any  here,  Cato.  I  have  a  goodfathei 
and  mother  and  sisters,  in  Coventry." 

"  Then  you  are  poorer  than  I  am.  When 
I  go  to  my  poor  house  at  night,  I  find  a  wel- 
come. The  stove  is  hot,  and  something  is 
cooking  on  it.  There  I  find  my  <old  woman' 
and  three  daughters.  My  boys  come  in  during 
the  evening,  and  we  have  a  dozen  of  friends 
looking  in.  We  are  all  glad  to  see  one  an- 
other.    I  could  not  live  without  friends." 

«  Yes,  Cato,  you  have  a  home  :  but  I  am  a 
stranger." 

<  I  often  wonder,"  said  Cato,  "  why  the 


42  FRANK  harper;  or, 

rich  gentlemen  don't  do  something  to  keep 
the  young  men  out  of  mischief  in  the  even- 
ings. Boys  are  boys ;  they  will  have  com- 
pany. Tf  they  are  not  cheerful  in  some  good 
place,  they  will  go  to  some  bad  one.  I  wonder 
if  masters  will  not  have  to  answer  for  this  to 
the  Master  of  all." 

To  this  Frank  made  no  reply;  for  he 
thought  as  Cato  did  ;  and  his  mind  w^as  wan- 
dering away  to  his  father's  house,  and  the 
deHghtful  winter  evenings  which  he  had  spent 
there. 

As  he  was  entering  Dey  Street,  on  his  re- 
turn to  tea,  he  met  Ned  and  Joe,  with  a  gang 
of  about  a  dozen  boys  and  men,  very  loud  and 
merry.  One  of  the  men  was  a  stable-keeper  to 
whom  he  had  taken  errands.  "  Come,  Frank," 
cried  he,  "  come.  There  is  to  be  a  great 
poultry- raffle  in  Leonard  Street."  This  is  a 
sort  of  lottery,  in  which  the  prizes  are  tur- 
keys, ducks,  and  chickens ;  but  the  chief  at- 
traction is  the  liquor,  which  U  given  verv 
freely. 


THE    COUNTRY    BOY   IN    TOWN.  43 

Frank  could  not  help  thinking  that  it  was 
Detter  to  be  lonely  than  to  make  merry  in 
such  company  as  this.  He  ascended  to  his 
room  ;  lighted  his  bit  of  candle  with  a  match  ; 
wrapped  a  blanket  around  him,  and  proceeded 
to  read  in  Pilgrim^s  Progress — the  only  book 
which  he  possessed  besides  the  Bible. 

If  the  reader  of  these  pages  should  ever  be- 
come the  employer  of  young  men,  I  hope  he 
will  take  pity  upon  those  who  are  under  his 
care,  and  at  least  find  out  what  means  they 
have  of  passing  away  their  evening  hours. 

The  Circus,  the  Theatre,  the  low  Concert, 
draw  multitudes  night  after  night.  These 
persons  afterwards  become  ripe  for  crimes. 
Boys  in  town,  who  have  no  one  to  look  after 
them,  are  early  tempted  to  such  places.  But 
if  they  love  their  own  souls,  they  should 
resolve  to  avoid  them,  lest  they  be  drawn  into 
greater  depths  of  iniquity.  The  nearest  gro- 
cery to  my  house  was  robbed  the  other  night 
by  a  boy  in  the  store,  who  rifled  the  money- 
drawer.      When    the  police  were  called  in, 


44 


FRANK   HARPER  ;  OR, 


they  saiu  at  once,  ^^  He  is  probably  at  the 
Circus  ;"  and  there,  indeed,  he  was,  as  they 
found  in  the  course  of  half  an  hour. 


THE  COUNTRY  BOY  IN  TOWN.      45 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE     VISIT. 

Now  it  is  very  likely  (as  I  have  said  a 
good  deal  about  religion,  and  about  the  bad 
ways  of  towns)  that  some  of  my  readers 
think  I  am  a  sour  old  fellow,  that  would  keep 
young  people  from  every  amusement.  By  no 
means,  my  young  friends.  You  must  have 
amusement  of  some  kind  or  other ;  and  it  is 
because  there  are  so  many  tempting  and  evil 
entertainments,  that  I  so  earnestly  desire  that 
an  effort  should  be  made  in  our  cities  to  furnish 
you  with  such  as  are  harmless. 

F^ank  was  growing  too  dull  for  a  lad  of  his 
years.  He  felt  the  need  of  companions,  and 
thought  much  of  his  sisters  and  cousins. 

One  morning  Mr.  Buncombe  stopped  Frank, 
as  he  was  on  the  stairs,  and  said  to  him*:  "My 
lad,  how  would  you  like  to  spend  a  day  at 


46  FRANK  harper;  or, 

your  father's  ?"  Frank's  heart  leaped  within 
him.  Forgetting  the  dignity  of  Mr.  Bun- 
combe, he  seized  his  hand,  and  :jaid, — "  0, 
sir,  it  would  be  too  good  !  I  should  thank  you 
for  ever !  But  can  I  go  ?  When  shall  I  go  ?" 
"  Next  Thursday,"  replied  his  employer,  "  is 
Thanksgiving-day ;  and  we  have  to  close  the 
store.  You  may  get  ready  to  go  the  evening 
before :  but  mind,  you  are  to  be  here  by  ten 
o'clock  on  Friday :  not  a  moment  later.  Do 
you  see  this  watch  ?  Not  a  moment  later.  Re- 
member :  Friday  at  ten. — <■<•  O  yes,  sir— yes, 
sir, — Friday  at  ten" — said  the  poor  boy, 
scarcely  knowing  what  he  said. 

It  was  as  if  a  burden  had  been  lifted  off  his 
young  heart.  You  may  be  sure  he  counted 
the  days  and  hours,  until  the  happy  moment. 
He  was  fluttering  with  fear  le;-t  something 
should  turn  up  to  hinder  it.  He  counted  up 
his  little  hoard  of  money  in  his  pocket-book. 
Part  of  this  he  laid  aside,  to  pay  his  passage : 
the  rest  he  appropriated  to  gifts  for  those  at 
home.     The  first  spare  evening  he  spent  in 


THE    COUNTRY   BOY    IN    TOWN.  4 1 

making  purchases  ;  and  how  he  turned  them 
over,  in  his  lonely  garret !  I  irst,  there  was  a 
large-print  New  Testament,  with  Psalms  at 
the  end,  for  his  dear  mother.  Secondly^  there 
was  an  ivo];(^-headed  cane,  for  his  dear  father. 
Thirdly,  there  w^as  a  box  of  colours  for  his 
sister  Mary.  Fourthly,  there  was  a  gilt  ink- 
stand for  his  sister  Ann.  And  fifthly,  there 
was  an  ornamented  powder-horn  for  Jonathan, 
who  worked  on  the  farm.  His  heart  was 
very  much  engaged  in  this,  and  the  feehng 
was  good  and  praiseworthy. 

When  Tuesday  night  came,  his  red  trunk 
was  all  packed,  except  the  change  of  clothing 
which  he  was  to  wear ;  and  he  had  been  twice 
to  the  railroad  office,  to  be  sure  of  the  right 
place  of  starting.  But  he  got  scarcely  a  wink 
of  sleep ;  and  when  he  dozed  a  little,  he  was 
Car  away  in  Coventry. 

At  length  the  happy  Wednesday  dawned, 
and  his  first  thought  was,  that  he  should  sleep 
that  night  under  his  father's  roof.  He  ate 
little  at  the  table,  so  that  the  landlady  smiled, 


^  FRANK    harper;    OR, 

and  told  him  he  y  -as  journey-proud.  Several 
times  he  made  sad  mistakes  in  his  fcrrands  ; 
for,  poor  fellow !  his  thoughts  were  in  the 
country.  A  full  hour  before  the  time,  he 
sallied  out  with  his  coat,  umbrella,^and  trunk, 
and  the  cane  for  his  father,  and  was  at  the 
foot  of  Liberty  Street,  before  the  ticket  office 
was  open.  He  looked  with  a  sort  of  gratitude 
on  the  whiskered  man  who  gave  him  his 
ticket ;  and  rushed  on  to  the  ferry-boat,  as  if  he 
was  afraid  it  would  be  off  before  him.  He 
was  soon  in  the  cars  ;  the  locomotive  whizzed 
and  smoked ;  and  the  train  began  to  move. 
It  seemed  to  him  to  move  slowly,  though  they 
were  going  almost  twenty  miles  an  hour. 

Darkness  came  on,  and  when  they  arrived 
at  the  place  where  he  was  to  get  out,  the  moon 
and  stars  were  shining  brightly.  He  alighted, 
and  looked  about  him.  He  knew  that  he  was 
exoected.  Presently  he  heard  a  familiar  sound ; 
it  was  the  snort  of  old  Roan,  the  family  horse  • 
and  then  he  knew  the  creak  of  the  wheels,  as 
the  little  wagon  drove  rapidly  round  the  tavern. 


THE  COUNTRY  BOY  IN  TOWN.      49 

His  heart  went  pit-a-pat.  With  a  husky  Vv  ice, 
tie  said,  <<  Who  is  it  ?"  and  in  a  moment  he 
was  in  his  fatJier's  arras.  <<  Come,  my  sen," 
said  the  old  man — "let  me  look  at  you  once 
more  !"  and  he  held  his  ruddy  face  in  the 
light  of  the  window.  "  Come  in  with  your 
trunk — we  have  four  miles  to  drive,  you  know 
— and  your  mother  and  the  girls  are  waiting 
for  you." 

Frank  seated  himself,  and  gently  took  the 
reins  out  of  his  father's  hand.  It  was  his  old 
place,  and  it  had  been  long  since  he  had 
handled  the  "lines."  He  knew  every  foot  of 
the  road,  by  day  or  night ;  and  old  Roan 
pricked  up  his  ears  at  the  well-known  voice, 
and  trotted  off  like  a  colt. 

" There,"  said  Frank,  "there  is  Mr.  Frost's 
house — I  see  the  light  in  their  sitting-room." 
"Yes,"  said  his  father,  "his  boys  have  come 
home  to  Thanksgiving." 

"  And  there  is  the  old  mill — and  yonder  is 
the  school-house."  And  see!  the  nc^on  is 
shining  on  the  steeple  of  our  church .     And 


50  FRANK  hakper;  or, 

oh,  there  is  our  own  lane — and  the  cherry-treed 
. — and  Towzer — I  hear  his  bark !" 

True  enough,  there  was  the  lane,  and  there 
was  Towzer,  who  almost  stifled  the  boy,  as 
he  jumped  down  to  open  the  gate.  As  soon 
as  the  sound  of  the  wheels  was  heard,  the 
door  flew  open,  and  out  bounded  two  rosy- 
cheeked  girls,  who  threw  their  arms  around 
his  neck.  "Brother,  brother!"  was  all  they 
could  say ;  but  it  w^as  enough.  In  the  door 
stood  his  gentle  mothe*,  trembling  with  more 
than  her  lips  could  express.  For  an  instant 
she  held  him  off*,  gazing  into  his  face,  and 
then  folded  him  to  her  bosom,  whispering, 
«  Thanks  be  to  God  !" 

If  there  is  a  happy  sight  on  earth,  it  is  that 
of  a  loving  family,  united  after  separation. 
The  large  fire-place  was  piled  with  logs, 
which  filled  the  room  with  their  blaze.  The 
circle  was  formed,  and  a  thousand  questions 
w^ere  asked  Towzer  lay  upon  the  hearth, 
and  looked  in  his  young  master's  i  'ce.  Im- 
patieat  to  open  his  stores,  the  red  trunk  was 


THE  COUNTRY  BOY  IN  TOWN.      61 

unlocked,  and  Frank  distributed  his  gifts. 
They  were  received  with  admiratioi  and 
thanks.  Jonathan  came  in,  and  shook  him 
some  seconds  by  the  hand.  Then,  restless 
with  joy,  Frank  must  needs  go  into  every 
room  in  the  house,  and  afterwards  out  of 
doors,  to  see  whether  the  barn,  the  smoke- 
house, and  the  dairy  stood  in  their  old 
places. 

The  supper-table  was  spread.  The'  good 
lather  asked  God's  blessing.  Frank  praised 
the  home-made  bread,  the  milk,  the  preserves, 
and  declared  he  had  never  sat  at  such  a  table 
in  New  York.  Once  again  they  all  kneeled 
in  family  prayer ;  and  when  the  grateful  boy 
went  to  his  well-remembered  bed,  he  thought 
it  was  the  happiest  day  of  all  his  life. 


62  FRANK    HARPER ;    OR, 


CHAPTER  YTI. 

THANKSGIVING-DAY. 

It  is  the  custom,  in  some  parts  of  tAe  coun- 
try, for  all  the  members  of  a  family  to  come 
together  on  Thanksgiving-day ;  and  a  very 
good  custom  it  is.  It  serves  to  draw  the 
bonds  more  closely  between  parents  and  chil- 
dren, brothers  and  sisters.  This  makes  it  a 
delightful  day  for  many  a  youth,  who  is  ab- 
sent from  his  father's  house  all  the  rest  of  the 
year.  So  it  was  with  Frank.  After  a  night 
of  sound  sleep,  he  arose  in  the  morning,  re- 
freshed and  cheerful.  By  daylight,  he  could 
now  look  around  on  the  familiar  objects  which 
had  escaped  him  in  the  darkness.  All  gave 
him  pleasure.  He  looked  with  satisfaction 
at  the  horses,  the  cattle,  the  flock  of  sheep, 
and  the  very  fowls  in  the  yard,  which  he  used 


THE    COUNTRY   BOY   IN   TOWN.  53 

to  feed.  There  was  not  a  thing  inside  or  out 
side  of  the  house,  which  did  not  bring  up 
t)leasant  recollections.  But  most  of  all  was  ne 
happy  in  the  presence  of  his  dear  parents  and 
sisters ;  and  he  saw  his  own  joy  reflected  in 
their  countenances.  When  all  were  summoned 
to  morning  prayers,  he  almost  wept  at  the 
sight  of  the  old  family  Bible  and  psalm-book  ; 
and  when  they  kneeled  in  prayer,  and  he  heaid 
his  aged  father  give  thanks  for  the  return  of 
the  only  son,  Frank  could  no  longer  contain 
himself. 

We  need  not  inquire  minutely  into  the 
country  breakfast,  to  which  they  sat  down. 
Suffice  it  to  say,  it  was  bountiful,  and  Frank 
could  not  have  been  more  happy,  if  he  had 
been  a  king.  Of  course  they  all  went  to  the 
village  church,  to  hear  a  sermon  from  Mr. 
Miller.  It  was  a  plain  building  of  stone, 
about  a  hundred  years  old :  but  it  was  deal 
to  Frank,  for  there  he  had  been  used  to  go, 
ever  since  his  infancy,  and  near  it  his  grand- 
parents were  buried.     There  was  great  looir- 


&4  FRANK    harper;    OK, 

ing  round  among  the  people,  to  see  who  of  the 
young  folks  had  come  home  to  spend  thanks- 
giving; and  when  the  service  was  over,  i* 
seemed  as  if  there  would  be  no  end  to  the 
shaking  of  hands  and  asking  of  questions. 
Friends  of  his  father,  and  old  playmates  ga- 
thered around  Frank,  and  it  was  a  full  half 
hour  before  he  could  mount  his  pony  for  a 
return. 

The  company  was  now  increased  and  the 
house  was  full.  Four  or  five  carriages  and 
wagons  drove  into  the  lane  at  once,  besides 
several  persons  on  foot.  There  was  uncle 
Joshua  Harper,  and  the  three  aunts,  sisters  of 
his  mother.  There  were  several  cousins,  w'ho 
came  because  their  own  parents  were  dead, 
and  they  had  found  a  friend  in  farmer  Har- 
per. There  was  the  schoolmaster,  Mr.  Tree, 
who  had  no  friends  of  his  own.  And  there 
was  Mr.  Miller,  the  clergyman ;  who,  being 
unmarried,  was  invited  home  to  Mr.  Harper's, 
The  fires  were  large,  crackling  and  blazing. 
All  were  in  their  best  clothes  and  best  tern- 


THE    COVNTRY    BOY    IN   TOWN.  55 

per ;   ai  d,  as  there  was  no   constraint,   the 
company  was  full  of  innocent  glee. 

Frank  had  a  great  desire  to  talk  with  his 
father  about  his  religious  anxieties.  He  there- 
fore followed  him  to  the  stable,  where  he 
went  to  see  after  the  dumb  creatures.  It  is 
not  unlikely  that  the  old  gentleman  kept  at 
this  work  longer  than  he  would  otherwise 
have  done,  in  order  to  converse  with  his 
boy.  But  Frank's  mouth  was  sealed  on  the 
great  subject.  Reverence  for  his  father,  joined 
to  natural  bashfulness,  kept  him  from  saying 
any  of  the  things  he  had  intended.  Mr. 
Harper  gave  his  son  much  good  advice. 
Frank,  in  his  turn,  related  the  whole  affair 
of  the  theatre  and  the  watch-house.  His 
father  did  what  every  good  parent  would  do 
in  a  like  case  ;  he  expressed  his  sorrow  for  the 
act;  but  he  commended  the  candour  of  the 
confession  And,  in  reply  to  Frank's  com- 
plaints about  sf)\it  ide,  his  father  told  him, 
that  the  best  of  all  society  was  Christian  so 
dety,  and  that  he  must  try  to  gain  the  advan- 


56  FRANK  harper;  or, 

tage  of  this.  He  therefore  earnestly  recom- 
mended to  him  to  attach  himself  to  some 
Sunday-school,  without  delay. 

A  Thanksgiving  dinner  in  the  countiy  is 
no  shght  affair.  My  readers  will  not  expect 
from  me  an  account  of  the  turkeys,  the  hams, 
the  pumpkin-pies,  the  puddings  and  the  cus- 
tards, under  which  the  table  groaned.  One 
thing  is  certain,  Mrs.  Harper  and  the  girls 
had  thought  more  of  Frank,  in  their  prepara- 
tions, than  of  all  the  other  guests.  Several 
poor  persons  were  waiting  in  the  kitchen  for 
their  accustomed  alms,  and  went  away  fully 
laden. 

Then  came  the  long  afternoon  and  evening, 
around  the  noble  wood-fire ;  when  cheerful- 
ness and  friendship  were  mingled  with  reli- 
gious communion  and  grateful  praise.  The 
crowded  assemblies  of  the  rich  and  great  can 
show  nothing  equal  to  such  a  scene ;  and 
there  are  a  thousand  such  on  every  general 
Thanksgiving-day.  The  school-master  was  also 
a  singing-master,  and  had  brought  his  bass- 


THE  COUNTRY  BOY  IN  TOWN.      57 

nol;  and  though  the  girls  had  no  piano-forte, 
several  of  them  had  sweet  voices.  The  minis- 
ter and  uncle  Joshua  carried  a  grand  bass,  and 
Frank  (though  somewhat  out  of  practice)  re- 
sumed the  tenor  of  his  earlier  days.  Alto- 
gether it  was  a  fine  concert ;  and  the  auditors, 
who  were  at  the  same  time  performers,  had 
quite  as  much  enjoyment  as  the  fine  gentle- 
men and  ladies  who  pay  their  dollar  to  hear  a 
foreign  fiddler  or  a  brace  of  painted  madames. 
Mary  and  Anne  learned  more  about  New 
York  and  its  ways,  that  evening,  than  they 
had  ever  dreamed  of  before :  their  brother 
was  now  a  great  authority  in  their  eyes  ;  and 
they  listened  with  wonder  to  what  he  told 
them  about  the  shipping,  the  steamers,  the 
immense  stores,  the  .hurches,  the  museums, 
the  fountains,  the  Croton-water,  the  fires,  and 
the  processions.  To  tell  the  truth,  the  girls 
were  really  all  alive  with  desire  to  ^^  gO 
shopping"  in  Broadway.  But  ah  !  how  many 
are  there,  who  lament,  when  it  is  too  late,  that 
they  ever  trod  the  streets  of  a  great  city ! 


58  FRANK    H  iRPER  ;    OR, 

During  a  pause  in  the  conversation,  Franli 
became  very  pensive,  and  at  length  followed 
his  mother  into  the  little  back-room,  whert 
she  had  taught  him  so  many  lessons  before. 
Anticipating  his  wish,  (as  mothers  do,)  Mrs. 
Harper  seated  herself,  and  Frank  did  the 
same.  There  was  something  on  his  mind. 
He  looked  into  his  mother's  eyes,  and  then 
upon  the  floor. 

"  Why,  my  son,"  said  Mrs.  Harper,  "  what 
ails  you  ?  See  !  You  have  torn  to  pieces  the 
beautiful  daily  rose,  which  Anne  just  now 
gave  you." 

Frank  looked  at  the  poor  remains  of  the 
flower,  as  it  hung  from  his  fingers,  and  said, 
"  I  am  very  sorry;  but,  mother,  I  was  thinking 
of  something  else." 

«  Come  then,  my  boy,  and  tell  me  what  it 
is.  I  am  afraid  they  do  not  treat  you  well  in 
New  York.  You  are  more  serious  than  you 
used  to  be.  Is  there  any  thing  of  tL.s  sort  to 
trouble  you?" 


THE    COUNTRY   BOY   IN   TOWN.  6'3 

''  No,  mother ;  but  there  is  something  1 
want  to  speak  to  you  about." 

''  Then,  my  son,  speak  freely ;  you  know  1 
will  help  you  in  every  way  I  can.  Have  you 
got  into  any  debt,  or  into  any  quarrel  ?" 

"Oh  no!"  said  Frank,  laying  his  head  un 
his  mother's  shoulder ;  "  I  tried  to  tell  father, 
but  I  could  not ;  but  I  can  tell  you,  mother. 
T  am  in  trouble  about  what  will  become  of  my 
soul." 

Mrs.  Harper  was  overcome  with  her  emo- 
tions. She  wiped  away  Frank's  tears  while 
shedding  many  of  her  own.  She  advised 
him,  she  prayed  with  him,  and  before  he 
went  away  she  gave  him  two  or  three  books 
and  some  tracts,  and  also  procured  a  letter 
from  Mr.  Miller,  to  introduce  him  to  a  worthy 
clergyman.  It  was  a  new  cause  of  thanks- 
giving for  this  pious  mother,  on  that  day  of 
rejoicing ;  and  it  was  an  unspeakable  relief  to 
the  dutiful  son,  that  he  had  opened  his  mind 
i,o  one  who  loved  him  Sff  well. 

The  happiest  day  must  come  to  an  end; 


60  FRANK  harper;  or, 

and  so  it  was  with  this  one.  The  company 
separated,  and  though  the  snow  had  been  fall- 
ing for  several  hours,  they  went  their  dl^erent 
ways  with  much  animation. 

Not  to  stop  for  the  painful  farewell,  let  me 
say,  that  Frank  was  up  long  before  day  on 
Friday.  His  good  father  took  him  to  a  place 
in  the  road  where  he  could  enter  the  New 
Brunswick  railway  train ;  and,  five  minutes 
before  ten,  he  reported  himself  to  Mr.  Bun- 
combe, in  John  Street.  The  absence  had 
done  him  good,  and  he  felt  stronger,  both  foi 
labour  and  endurance,  than  before  he  went. 


THE    DOUNTRY    BOY    IN    TOWN  61 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE     HOUSE    OF     GOD. 

The  bells  were  ringing  for  church  on  Sun- 
day morning.  The  new  chime  of  Trinity 
Church  steeple  was  filling  the  air  with  its 
tune.  Broadway,  the  great  thoroughfare,  was 
crowded  with  well-dressed  people,  who  seemed 
to  be  going  to  church.  Among  these  Frank 
mingled,  with  his  book  under  his  arm,  and  a 
letter  in  his  hand,  which  he  was  to  deliver  tc 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Halsted.  At  length,  he  reached 
Locust  Street,  and  found  himself  in  front  of 
the  church  to  w^hich  he  had  been  directed.  It 
was  a  lofty  edifice  of  brown  stone,  with  a  row 
of  columns  in  front,  and  a  steeple  of  some 
height.  The  congregation  had  not  yet  begun 
to  assemble,  but  he  perceived  that  a  large 
building  in  the  rear  was  reported  to,  ^^y  a 


62  FRAiTK  harper;  or, 

numoer  of  persons.  Frank  ascended  the 
steps,  and  respectfully  addressed  himself  to  a 
grave,  elderly  gentleman,  who  was  standing  in 
the  doorway.  "  Will  you  be  so  good  as  to  tell 
me,  sir,  how  I  shall  find  Mr.  Halsted,  the  min- 
ister of  this  church  r^ 

"Nothing  is  more  easy,"  replied  the  old 
gentleman,  with  a  gracious  smile,  "  I  am  the 
very  person  you  are  looking  for." 

"  Indeed,  sir !  Then  I  have  a  letter  for  you, 
from  Mr.  Miller  of  Coventry."  Mr.  Halstea 
read  the  letter,  and  then  taking  Frank  by  the 
hand,  led  him  into  the  church.  He  then 
called  the  sexton  and  directed  him  to  give 
Frank  a  seat,  and  to  see  that  he  was  always 
provided  with  it.  "I  expect  to  see  you  here 
always — twice  a  day,  my  young  friend ;  you 
know  the  saying,  <  the  rolling  stone  gathers  no 
moss.'  I  expect  you  to  be  here  in  time. 
And  I  expect  to  see  you  at  my  house,  next 
Wednesday  evening,  at  eight  o'clock,  when  I 
mean  to  become  further  acquainted  with  you." 

Frank's  seat  was  in  the  gallery,  near  the 


THE  COUNTRY  BOY  IN  TOWN.      63 

pulpit,  SO  that  he  had  a  good  view  of  the  con- 
gregation as  they  came  in.  They  seemed, 
for  the  most  part,  to  be  plain  but  respectable 
people.  When  the  service  began,  and  the 
whole  assembly  joined  in  singing  the  hymn, 
Frank  was  delighted,  and  united  his  own 
voice  with  that  of  the  multitude.  In  the 
prayers,  his  mind  was  very  much  engaged; 
they  appeared  to  be  exactly  suited  to  his  case. 
When  the  minister  rose  to  preach,  he  took  for 
his  text  these  words,  "  Walk  in  the  Spirit,  and 
ye  shall  not  fulfil  the  lusts  of  the  fiesh.^^*  It 
was  a  simple  but  earnest  discourse,  on  the 
power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  subdue  the  evil 
nature  within  us.  Every  word  seemed  to  Frank 
as  if  it  were  meant  for  him.  He  wondered 
how  Mr.  Halsted  could  have  learned  so  much 
of  his  case.  The  preacher  described  just 
such  feelings  as  he  had  had ;  just  such  efforts 
at  reformation;  and  just  such  mortifying  de- 
feats.    It  was  Frank's  experience  to  a  tittle. 


*  Galatians  v.  16. 


64  FRANK  harper;  or, 

But  he  went  on  further  to  describe  what  Frank 
had  not  experienced.  He  spoke  of  a  new 
nature  ;  of  the  indwelling  of  the  Spirit  of  God 
in  the  renewed  soul ;  of  grace  to  help  in  time 
of  need ;  and  of  the  work  of  sanctification. 
He  explained  what  was  meant  by  <<  walking 
in  the  Spirit,"  and  showed  how  this  blessed 
Comforter  and  Sanctifier  is  given  to  every  one 
of  God's  people,  enabling  them  to  do  what 
they  could  not  do  of  themselves.  "I  see," 
said  Frank  to  himself,  "  that  I  have  a  great 
deal  yet  to  learn.  This  new  nature  is  what  I 
have  not  received." 

As  he  walked  homeward,  his  anxiety  ap^ 
peared  to  him  to  be  much  renewed ;  yet  he 
felt  an  unspeakable  satisfaction  in  having  a 
place  of  worship,  to  which  he  could  regularly 
^0.  He  repaired  thither  again  in  the  afternoon, 
and  was  again  instructed ;  so  that  he  could 
say  of  God's  house,  "^  day  in  thy  courts  is 
better  than  a  thousand.''^  In  returning,  he 
chose  to  walk  homeward  along  the  North 
River.     How  was  he  astonished  to  see  the 


THE    COUNTRY    BOY   IN   TOWN.  65 

multitudes  of  young  men  and  boys  who  were 
evidently  profaning  the  day.  Scores  of  these 
were  out  riding;  and,  cold  as  was  tne  day, 
numbers  were  crossing  the  ferries  .o  New 
Jersey.  Can  such  youth  have  any  parents? 
Or  can  parents  be  so  unfeeling,  or  so  igno- 
rant, as  to  let  their  sons  come  to  town,  with- 
out taking  any  care  about  their  going  to 
church  ? 

Every  young  man  in  a  city  should  have 
some  stated  place  of  worship.  It  is  not  enough 
that  he  go  to  church  ;  he  should  go  regularly 
to  the  same  church.  I  do  not  say  a  word 
about  its  denomination.  If  the  gospel  is 
preached  there  in  truth  and  simplicity,  let  it 
be  Lutheran,  Moravian,  Methodist,  or  Epis- 
copalian; I  am  not  concerned,  only  let 
him  have  some  place  wb'.ch  he  may  call 
nis  own,  and  let  him  have  his  regular  seat 
there 

A  very  large  number  of  all  the  clerks  and 
apprentices  in  New  York  are  from  the  coun- 
try. When  thev  come  to  town  they  are  stran- 
6* 


66  FRANK  harper;  or, 

gers ;  and  one  church  is  to  them  the  same  as 
another.  They  wander  about  from  place  to 
place,  until  all  regular  habits  are  lost.  I  have 
known  even  professors  of  rehgion  to  spend 
months  without  forming  any  church  connec- 
tion ;  and  some  mournful  cases  have  occurred, 
in  which  such  persons  have  abandoned  all  reli- 
gious character. 

One  thing  was  very  pleasing  to  Frank,  at 
the  Locust  Street  church.  A  large  part  of 
the  gallery  was  devoted  to  the  children  of  the 
Sunday-school;  all  of  whom  sat  with  their 
respective  teachers.  And  among  these  teach- 
ers he  saw  a  young  man,  who,  he  felt  almost 
sure,  was  the  very  Mr.  Brooks,  who  had  given 
him  a  tract  at  the  foot  of  Ch? mbers  Street.  This 
may  seem  a  small  matter,  but  to  a  poor  boy 
who  wanted  a  friend,  any  thing  was  delight- 
ful which  offered  the  hope  of  finding  one. 
Young  men  in  town  can  have  no  such 
means  of  making  valuable  friends  as  those 
which  are  offered  by  their  religious  connec- 
tions. 


THE    COUNTRY   BOY   IN    TOWN.  6*7 

Frank  determined  to  use  all  proper  means 
to  discover  Mr.  Brooks.  He  ransacked  his 
closet  for  the  tract,  on  which  he  had  written 
iiis  place  of  business.  At  last  he  found  it, 
and  with  much  joy  read  the  words, 


B.  B.  BROOKS, 

NO.   220    CASTIiE   STREET. 


Now  this,  thought  Frank,  is  what  I  may  call 
a  kind  providence.  For  when  Mr.  Miller  di- 
rected me  to  Locust  Street,  I  had  no  rt'mem- 
brance  that  Mr.  Brooks  was  a  teacher  in  their 
Sunday-school. 

The  Lord's- day  is  a  very  sad  time,  when 
spent  among  wicked  people.  So  Frank  found 
it,  at  Mrs.  Moggs^s.  Two  of  her  lodgers 
were  Germans,  who  seemed  to  be  mfidels, 
and  who  played  on  violins  a  good  part  of  the 
day ;  and  in  the  evening  a  whist  table  was 
commonly  set  out.    They  appeared  to  suspect 


es 


FRANK   harper;    OR, 


Frank  of  something  like  religion,  for  in  his 
presence  they  always  talked  a  great  deal  about 
"  saints,"  and  "hypocrisy,"  and  questioned 
him  concerning  the  church  he  attended.  AL 
this  made  him  only  the  more  sensible  of  his 
solitary  condition^  and  cauf^ed  him  to  long  the 
more  for  some  useful  and  Christian  compa- 
nion. 


THE  COUNTRY  BOY  IN  TOWN.      69 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE     SUNDAY-SCHOOL. 

It  was  several  days  before  Frank  found 
leisure  to  pass  through  Castle  Street.  At  last 
he  made  his  way  thither,  and  was  much  gra- 
tified to  find  Mr.  Brooks  in  his  store. 

"Perhaps,  sir,"  said  Frank,  "you  do  not 
remember  me  :  I  am  the  boy  to  whom  you 
gave  a  tract,  some  time  ago,  at  the  foot  of 
Chambers  Street.' 

"O  yes,"  said  Mr.  Brooks  ;  "and  I  thought 
I  had  met  with  you  before,  when  I  saw  you 
last  Sunday ;  for  I  spied  you  in  the  gallery ; 
but  was  so  busy  with  my  boys  that  I  could 
not  look  after  you.  But  how  did  you  come  to 
our  church?' 

Frank.  I  had  a  letter  to  Mr.  Halsted,  from 
our  minister  in  the  countr}^ — at  Coventry 


70  FRAHK    HARPER  ;    OR, 

Brooks.  Ah,  then  you  are  one  of  Mr.  Mil- 
ler's boys.  We  know  him  well.  He  was  bred 
among  us,  and  was  once  our  superintend- 
ent.    Now  tell  me,  what  brought  you  to  me  ? 

Frank.  Sir,  I  liked  your  looks.  You  spoke 
kindly  to  me  ;  and  you  seemed  to  care  for 
my  soul.  Nobody  else  has  done  the  like  for 
me  here. 

A  tear  glistened  in  Mr.  Brooks's  eye,  as 
he  took  the  boy  by  the  hand  and  said,  "  What 
friends  have  you  in  town  ?" 

Frank.  I  have  no  friends,  1  ut  my  employers; 
and  I  never  see  them  out  of  the  store. 

Brooks.  Then  you  shall  have  one  friend — 
and  I  give  you  my  hand  upon  it.  You  might 
have  gone  to  ruin  ;  it  is  a  mercy  that  you  have 
not.  Let  me  know  your  lodgings,  and  let  me 
see  you  as  often  as  you  can.  Perhaps  you 
would  like  to  be  a  teacher  in  our  Sunday- 
school. 

Frank  blushed  and  said,  "  Not  a  teacher,  sir, 
I  know  my  place  better  than  that ;  but  I  should 
like  well  to  be  a  scholar." 


THE  COUNTRY  BOY  IN  TOWN.      71 

»<  Then  a  scholar  you  shall  be ;  and  next 
Sunday,  at  eight  o'clock,  I  will  call  for  you : 
remember — for  Sabbath  time  is  more  precious 
than  gold — eight  o'clock." 

The  Sabbath  came  round,  and  Frank  was 
sitting  in  the  little  parlour  patiently  awaiting 
his  friend's  call.  When  Mr.  Brooks  entered, 
he  looked  quite  startled,  for  Ned  and  Joe  were 
engaged  in  mending  a  pair  of  skates,  and  Mr. 
Niedert  was  rendering  the  same  service  to 
some  disabled  chess-men ;  while  one  or  two 
champagne-baskets,,  in  the  corner,  bore  wit- 
ness to  the  habits  of  some  of  the  inmates. 
They  left  the  house  together. 

"  And  this  is  your  boarding-house,  Frank  ^^ 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  And  this  is  the  way  they  spend  the  Lord's 
day !" 

«  A  good  deal  too  much  of  this,  I  must  con- 
fess." 

«  And  who  directed  you  to  the  place  .^" 

Frank.  Why  you  see,  sir,  my  father  had  no 
acquaintances  in  town :    so  he  went  to  Mr. 


72  FRANK  harper;  or, 

Bubble,   who    keeps    tavern   in   our   village 
and  Mr.  Bubble  directed  him  to  a  brother-in 
law  of  his,  in  Washington  market ;  and  this 
last  one  brought  me  here. 

Brooks.  Ah,  I  see  how  it  is !  Thus  it  is 
that  hundreds  of  young  men  come  in  from  the 
country,  and  are  ruined  for  want  of  proper 
guardianship.  But  this  must  have  an  end — 
you  cannot  live  here  any  longer. 

Frank.  Why,  sir,  where  can  I  live  .■* 

Brooks.  You  shall  live  with  me;  at  a  re- 
spectable, economical  boarding-house  down 
town ;  so  I  advise  you  to  make  your  arrange- 
ments immediately. 

Though  Frank  did  not  know  it,  this  was 
one  of  the  most  important  steps  which  had 
ever  been  proposed  to  him.  Little  as  he 
knew  of  his  danger,  however,  he  was  over- 
joyed at  the  thought  of  escaping  from  such 
evils,  and  of  being  near  such  a  friend.  Would 
to  God,  that  all  pious  young  men,  in  cities, 
were  awake  to  the  importance  of  rescuing  the 
youth  around  them  from  evil  associations^ 


THE    COUNTRY    BCY    IN    TOWN.  73 

Arrived  at  the  Sunday-school,  Frank  was 
surprised  and  astonished  to  find  three  large 
rooms  filled  with  scholars.  Good  Mr.  Brooks 
modestly  said  that  he  did  not  think  he  was 
able  to  teach  Frank,  so  well  as  his  friend  Mr. 
Rood,  who  had  a  more  advanced  class.  So 
Frank  was  placed  under  the  care  of  this  gen- 
tleman, by  whom  he  was  kindly  received,  and 
furnished  with  all  the  necessary  books.  The 
time  passed  away  pleasantly,  and  he  was 
sorry  when  the  hour  was  over.  He  received 
a  printed  card,  with  the  rules  of  the  school, 
and  the  following  additional  particulars,  \iz, : 

"  1.  Remember  the  Missionary  collection. 

«2.  Remember  to  meet  with  your  teacher, 
at  his  room,  on  every  Saturday  evening,  to  go 
over  the  lesson. 

«  3.  Remember  the  Prayer  Meeting,  0:1  the 
second  Monday  of  the  month. 

"4.  Remember  to  practise  the  hymns  and 
tunes  for  the  Monthly  JPrayer  Meeting. 

"  Remember  the  Scripture  passage  in   he 


74  FRANK    HARPER ;    OR, 

Union  Questions,  and  commit  to  memory  a 
ponion  of  the  verses,  every  day." 

In  the  course  of  a  few  days,  Frank  took  his 
departure  from  Mrs.  Moggs's,  and  went  to 
nis  new  lodgings.  They  were  new  indeed ! 
For  though  he  still  had  an  attic  room,  he  had 
it  all  to  himself.  He  had  a  washstand,  a  chest 
of  drawers,  and  a  hanging-shelf.  The  land- 
lady was  a  pious  widow,  and  the  lodgers 
were  all  serious  persons.  The  blessing  of  God 
was  asked  at  their  meals,  and  they  had  family 
prayer,  morning  and  night.  Above  all,  he 
had — in  Mr.  Brooks,  a  judicious,  experienced 
^nd  affectionate  friend,  to  whom  he  could  look 
up  as  to  an  elder  brother.  He  had  no  sooner 
found  himself  alone  in  his  little  chamber,  than 
he  kneeled  down,  to  thank  God  for  this  great 
«nd  unexpected  mercy. 

Let  the  reader  pause  and  think  how  much 
good  he  might  do,  by  seeking  out  some  friend- 
less lad,  and  rescuing  him  from  the  tempta- 
tions of  a  great  city.      Fct  a  youth  away 


THE  COUNTRY  BOY  IN  TOWN.      75 

from  home,  to  find  such  a  friend,  is  better  than 
to  receive  an  inheritance  of  wealth.  And 
et  it  be  remembered,  it  is  religion  which  in- 
spires such  benevolence,  and  makes  sjch 
friends.  If  therefore  any  youth  in  towr 
is  led  to  feel  his  need  of  such  a  guidft 
and  protector,  the  best  and  shortest  rule 
I  can  give  him  is  in  these  words  :  Hasten 
to  connect  yourself  with  a  good  Sunday- 
school. 

Frank  found  the  school  a  source  of  con- 
stant pleasure.  It  gave  occupation  to  his 
mind.  The  lessons  were  not  usually  hard ; 
and  when  he  met  with  any  difficulty,  he 
had  Mr.  Brooks  in  the  house  to  aid  him, 
who  went  with  him  to  the  minister's,  where 
he  was  always  cordially  welcomed.  He 
became  acquainted  with  four  respectable 
boys,  who  met  with  him,  in  Mr.  Rrooks's 
room,  every  Saturday  evening.  At  the  prayer- 
meetmgs,  he  joined  in  delightful  singing, 
and  saw  himself  surro  mded  by  a  company 
of  youthful   Christians    every  one   of  whom 


76  FRANK    harper;    OR, 

was  ready  to  take  him  by  the  hanu.  And, 
what  was  still  better,  these  new  associations, 
and  the  lessons  which  he  received,  tended 
to  deepen  those  reUgious  impressions  which 
he  had  already  received.  Having  been  made 
to  feel  his  own  ignorance  and  weakness, 
he  opened  his  mind  to  instruction,  with  the 
simplicity  of  a  little  child.  It  seemed  almost 
too  good  to  be  true,  that  a  few  d^s  should 
huve  wrought  so  great  a  change  in  his  cir- 
cumstances and  his  feehngs ;  and  he  would 
have  been  perfectly  happy,  if  he  had  not 
be^n  conscious  of  a  burden  on  his  soul, 
wl  ich  was  not  yet  removed.  He  sat  down 
in  Mr.  Brooks's  room,  where  there  was  a 
fire,  and  wrote  a  long  letter  to  his  father 
and  mother ;  in  which  he  gave  them  a  full 
account  of  all  that  had  taken  place. 

The  next  Sabbath  was  indeed  a  day  of 
rest.  He  longed  for  the  hour  of  school ; 
and  when  there,  he  was  calm  and  full  of 
satisfaction.  He  listened  to  the  word  of  God 
with    new   interest      and,    at    Mr.    Brocks'i 


THE    COUNTRY    BOY    IN    TOWN 


77 


suggestion,  opened  a  little  book,  i*^  which 
he  might  record  so  much  as  he  could  recol 
lect  of  the  sermons.  How  different  a  face 
would  be  put  on  our  cities,  if  all  the  young 
men  from  the  country,  in  shops  and  stores, 
were  under  a  like  influence  ! 


78  FRANK   harper;    OR, 


CHAPTER  X. 

EARLY     TRIALS. 

It  is  noc  the  way  of  Providence  to  let 
any  one  who  is  in  the  right  way  continue 
long  without  trials.  It  was  only  a  few  weeks 
after  the  events  last  related,  that  Frank  was 
surprised  by  a  summons  into  the  back-office, 
to  meet  Messrs.  Boggs  and  Buncombe.  Such 
a  thing  had  never  happened  before.  These 
gentlemen  looked  very  grave,  and  Mr.  Boggs 
began  the  conversation  by  saying :  "  What 
is  this,  my  lad,  that  we  hear  about  your 
boarding-house  ?" 

Frank.  Indeed,  sir,  I  do  not  know  what 
you  mean. 

Mr.  Boggs  Don't  you  live  at  No.  41'  Dey 
Street? 


THE  COUNTRY  BOY  IN  TOWN.      79 

Frank.  No  sir,  I  did  live  there  at  first ;  but 
I  changed  my  lodgings  more  than  a  month 
ago. 

Mr.  Boggs  looked  at  Mr.  Buncombe,  and 
said,  with  a  smile :  "  This  is  better  than  I 
thought.  Look  at  that  paper;  you  will  see 
that  two  men  have  been  arrested  at  that 
house,  for  having  entered  several  stores  with 
false  keys.  They  have  been  committed. 
Two  bo}s  also — Denton  and  Briggs — are 
inder  suspicion  as  accomphces,  but  have 
beeu  dismissed  for  want  of  sufficient  evi- 
dence. We  were  afraid  they  might  be  ac- 
quaintances of  your's." 

"  I  know  them,"  said  Frank,  <<  but  I  know 
no  good  of  them  ;  and  I  have  not  laid  eyes  on 
them  since  I  left  the  house." 

Many  thoughts  came  into  Frank's  mind, 
m  hearing  this  piece  of  news.  He  saw  how 
near  he  had  been  to  the  greatest  snares.  He 
might  at  least  have  been  involved  in  the  most 
mortify'ng  suspicions  ,  and  he  thanked  God 


80  FRANK   harper;    OR, 

that  he  had  been  rescued  from  such  a  Deril 
Now  he  began  to  undei stand  the  noises  of 
hammering  and  filing,  which  he  used  to  hear^ 
by  day  and  night,  in  Mr.  Niedert's  room,  and 
to  see  how  Ned  and  Joe  managed  to  be  al- 
ways so  flush  of  money. 

About  dusk  he  was  returning  from  the 
store,  when  he  was  accosted  by  two  young 
men,  just  in  front  of  old  Grace  Church :  he 
at  once  recognised  them  as  his  former 
chamber-fellows.  While  he  was  doubting 
whether  he  should  stop  or  not,  Joe  seized 
him  violently  by  the  collar,  and  said,  with 
a  malignant  sneer — '<  So  you  have  been 
peaching,  you  young  scoundrel — have 
you  .^" 

"Perhaps  I  may  answer  you  better,"  re- 
plied Frank,  nothing  daunted,  "it  you  let  me 
loose,  and  if  you  tell  me  what  peaching 
means." 

Joe  here  loosened  his  hold,  and  said- 
it  Fool !    peaching  means   that-  and    that" 


THE  COUNTRY  BOV  IN  TOWN.      8l 

and  that  ;^^  at  the  same  time  striking  him 
with  his  fist ;  while  Frank  defended  himself 
as  well  as  he  coald. 

Frank  was  now  in  difficult  circumstances  ; 
he  was  no  coward,  and  he  was  remarkably 
stout  of  his  age.  Against  either  of  them, 
singly,  he  knew  he  could  make  very  good 
batde ;  but  two  against  one  was  foul  play. 
Besides,  he  abhorred  the  thought  of  a  street- 
fight  ;  and,  more  than  all,  he  saw  no  reason 
why  he  should  beat  and  injure  them,  even 
if  they  had  abused  him. 

"You  are  a  sneaking  informer!"  cried 
Ned  Briggs — <'we  know  well  enough  who 
nas  put  the  police  on  the  scent:  but  you'll 
find  it  was  the  worst  day's  work  you  ever 
did,  when  you  carried  tales  against  m5." 

Here  Frank  began  to  understand  that  they 
ascribed  their  detection  to  something  which 
ne  had  said  :  and  he  declared  with  great 
truth  that  he  had  known  nothing  about  the 
matr,er,  until  within  a  few  hours. 


82  FRANK    HARPER,    OR, 

Here  he  was  interrupted  by  lan^iage 
which  must  not  be  repeated.  Ned  threw  ofl 
his  coat,  and  dared  him  to  a  fight.  Frank 
felt  the  blood  rush  to  his  face,  and  was  with 
in  an  ace  of  accepting  the  challenge.  A 
crowd  was  already  gathered,  among  whom 
were  several  persons  who  were  ready  to  helj 
on  the  mischief.  After  looking  his  opposei 
steadily  in  the  eyes,  Frank  bit  his  lip,  and 
said: — "You  have  attacked  me  for  nothing — 
I  have  done  you  no  harm.  If  you  touch  me, 
I  shall  defend  myself — but  you  shan't  get 
me  into  a  fight ;  so  I  mean  to  go  quietly 
home." 

As  he  turned  away,  the  boys  cried  out — • 
"Coward — coward  !"  and  several  of  the  by- 
standers joined  in  the  cry.  At  the  same 
time,  Ned  and  Joe  proceeded  to  seize  upon 
him,  with  intentions  of  further  violence. 
The  result  might  have  been  unfavourable  ; 
if  a  man,  passing  by,  had  not  stopped  to  see 
what  was  the  matter,  and  recognised  Frank 


THE    COUNTRY    BOY    IN    TOWN.  83 

It  was  the  principal  clerk  of  a  store,  out  a 
few  doors  from  Boggs  and  Buncombe's 
Being  athletic  and  well-dressed,  Mr.  Clark 
was  received  with  some  respect,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  disengaging  his  young  friend,  and 
conducting  him  towards  his  lodgings. 

"  They  have  hit  you  in  the  mouth,"  said 
Clark,  "it  is  bleeding." 

Here  the  cries  of  « Coward !  coward !" 
were  again  heard  from  the  assailants. 

a  Never  mind  that,"  said  Clark.  <'  You 
have  done  well  to  keep  clear  of  a  fight, 
which  would  probably  have  lodged  you  in 
the  watch-house.  I  will  explain  this  matter 
to  Mr.  Boggs,  and  he  will  take  care  that 
you  are  protected.' 

When  Frank  reached  his  boarding-house, 
he  related  the  circumstances  to  Mr.  Brooks, 
«vho  was  much  concerned. 

"  I  am  ttiankful,"  said  he,  "  that  it  is  no 
worse ;    and   I   am    glaii   that   these  unruly 


64  FRANK   harper;    OR, 

fellows  have  not  left  their  mark  od  youl 
face." 

And  here  he  removed  Frank's  cap,  and 
smoothed  down  the  brown,  curly  hair,  over 
a  face  which  was  crimson  with  excite- 
ment. 

Frank  did  not  care  for  the  blow^s  ;  nor, 
indeed,  was  he  at  all  intimidated ;  but,  to 
tell  the  truth,  the  name  of  coward  had  stung 
him  deeply.  Next  day,  he  found  that  the 
story  had  got  to  the  store,  and  that  the 
younger  clerks  had  formed  no  very  high 
opinion  of  his  valour.  This  was  an  afflic- 
tion to  him ;  but  he  thought  within  himself, 
«  I  know  I  am  not  a  coward — and  my  con- 
science is  clear — so  I  will  try  not  to  mind 
what  people  think  of  me." 

This  was  a  wise  determination.  His  em- 
ployers, after  Mr.  Clark's  testimony,  were 
fully  satisfied,  and  commended  him  for  his 
forbearance.     It  was  scarcely  a  week  befoie 


THE   COUNTRY    BOY   IN    TOWN.  85 

Ned  and  Joe  were  both  convicted  of  a  petty 
theft,  and  thrown  into  prison ;  and  even  the 
boys  in  the  store  began  to  perceive  that 
FranK  had  acted  bravely  as  well  as  pru- 
dently. 


86  FRANK    HAJm^R;    OB, 


CHAPTER  XL 

COURAGE. 

About  midnight,  on  the  first  of  March, 
Frank  was  awakened  by  the  heavy  toll  of 
the  fire-bell.  Almost  immediately  he  heard 
the  voice  of  Mr.  Brooks  at  his  door. 

« Frank !  Frank  ! — The  fire  is  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  your  store.  I  think  we 
had  better  go  and  see." 

Frank  hurried  on  his  clothes,  and  ran  up 
tp  the  fire.  When  they  reached  John  Street, 
the  whole  row  of  buildings  appeared  to  be 
*n  a  blaze.  After  a  few  steps,  Frank  per- 
ceived, that  althc^igh  their  store  was  not  on 
fire,  it  was  in  imminent  danger,  as  the  houses 
on  one  side  and  in  the  rear  were  burning, 
Messrs.  Boggs  and  Buncombe  were  already  on 
the  spot ;  their  own  safe  and  books  were 
brought  out,  and  all  hands  were  employed  in 


THE    COUNTRY    BOY    IN    TOWN.  61 

-emoving  the  valuable  goods.  Few  scenes 
are  more  exciting  than  a  city  fire.  The 
bells,  the  noise  of  the  firemen,  the  gathering 
of  crowds,  the  working  of  the  engines,  anu 
the  adventures  of  brave  fellows  upon  the 
burning  houses,  make  it  almost  like  a  bat- 
tle. 

Frank  set  himself  to  work  with  resolution. 
The  upper  lofts  were  filled  with  costly  goods, 
and  he  almost  exceeded  his  strength,  in  la- 
boring to  remove  them.  At  last,  the  roof  o'f 
the  house  in  the  rear  fell  in,  and  a  column 
of  smoke  and  flame  ascended  to  the  skies. 
The  cry  was  given  that  their  own  roof  had 
caught ;  and  the  walls  were  heated  like  an 
oven.  Now  was  the  time  for  Frank  to  show 
himself  a  man.  He  was  the  most  bold  and 
agile  m  the  company.  His  country  climbing 
had  given  him  firmness  of  footing,  and  he 
was  foremost  on  the  roof,  and  far  out  on  the 
dge,  spreading  wet  blankets  and  cloths  upon 
the  walls. 

t<  Who   is   that  ;ad .'"  criea   sev^eral   men 


88  FRANK    HA»^t.K  ;    OR, 

below.  <<  See  ! — he  is  standing  on  the  ex- 
creme  pent!  What  madness! — he  will  cer- 
tainly fall !     Who  can  it  be  ?" 

"That,  '  said  Mr.  Clark,  "is  the  boy  who 
was  called  a  coward.'^''  And  the  young 
clerks  who  haci  sneered  at  him,  now  looked 
up  at  his  daring,  and  were  silent. 

But  Mr.  Boggs  saw  that  Frank,  was  im- 
prudent, and  therefore  directed  him  to  other 
services,  which  were  equally  important.  They 
had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  their  store 
saved  ;  and  towards  morning  one  of  the 
partners  called  Frank,  and  putting  into  his 
hand  a  portfolio  of  valuable  papers,  said, 
"  Here  Frank,  I  give  you  these  papers,  to 
carry  to  my  house  in  Waverley-place  ;  for  I 
know  you  are  a  trusty  and  a  brave  boy.'' 
Frank's  face  glowed  at  the  commendation. 
Perhaps  he  had  ventured  more  than  he  ought 
to  have  done,  because  he  knew  his  courage 
had  been  suspected.  But  now  he  had  been 
placed  in  circumstances  where  none  couIq 
doubt  it. 


THE  COUNTRY  BOY  IN  TOWN.      89 

Tlie  few  days  which  followed  were  occu 
pied  iii  a  great  variety  of  unusual  labours, 
occasioned  by  the  fire.  In  this  Frank  was 
enabled  still  more  to  commend  himself  to 
his  employers,  who  saw  that  he  was  bof? 
wilHng  and  competent,  and  that  he  realJjr 
looked  on  their  interest  as  his  own.  It  k 
not  surprising  therefore  that  they  made  hi/n 
a  very  handsome  present,  in  money;  this 
he  immediately  deposited  in  the  Savings- 
bank. 

When  a  young  man  comes  into  favour,  it 
is  wonderful  how  suddenly  low  and  vulgar 
mindd  change  their  opinion  of  him.  So  it 
was  with  Frank.  The  young  clerks  sought 
ilia  acquaintance.  But  this  did  not  alter 
his  behaviour  to  them  :  he  was  civil  now,  as 
he  had  been  civil  before.  John  Small,  the 
youngest  of  them,  was  so  polite  as  to  invite 
him  to  join  a  Sunday  excursion  to  Coney 
Island!  Frank  not  only  declined,  but  ex- 
plained to  John  the  reasons  upon  which 
he  did  so.     Samuel  Roe  offered  him  a  chance 


90  FRANK  harper;  or, 

of  seeing  a  grand  boxing-match,  at  the  Hall 
of  Novelty,  in  Pearl  Street,  which  he  treated 
m  like  manner. 

With  Mr.  Brooks  his  intercourse  was  of  a 
very  different  kind  He  knew  that  this 
young  man  was  a  true  Christian,  and  one 
who  had  his  welfare  at  heart.  They  spent 
much  time  together,  in  walking  and  talk- 
ing, and  in  studying  the  word  of  God. 

One  day,  as  they  were  at  the  foot  of  Bar- 
clay street,  they  saw  a  number  of  persons 
come  off  the  ferry  boat,  surrounding  a  litter, 
which  was  very  carefully  covered.  On  in- 
quiry, they  found  it  contained  a  young  gen- 
tleman, who  had  been  wounded  in  a  duel  at 
Hoboken.  The  villain  who  had  challenged 
nim,  and  sent  a  ball  into  his  side,  had  fled. 
"  This,"  said  Mr.  Brooks,  <<  is  what  the  world 
emails  an  affair  of  honour ;  but  what  the  law 
of  God  calls  murder." 

Frank.  Why  do  men  fight  duels  ? 

Brooks.  Partly  from  savage  revenge,  but 
more  frequentlv  from  fear. 


THE   COUNTRY   BOY    IS   TOWN.  91 

Frank.  Fear !  Why  I  thought  it  was  cou" 
"age  that  made  men  fight. 

Brooks,  You  ought  to  know,  Frank,  that 
It  sometimes  takes  more  courage  not  to  fight. 
It  certainly  does  in  the  case  of  duels.  When 
a  man  is  challenged,  it  often  happens  that 
he  has  no  desire  to  fight ;  and  when  at  length 
he  does  so,  it  is  for  fear  of  being  ridiculed 
bs  a  coward.  This  is  the  fear  of  man — it  is 
cowardice. 

Frank.  Then  duelling  is  cowardly  mur- 
df-r. 

Brooks.  Exactly. 

Frank.  Do  you  think  every  duellist  is  a 
murderer  ? 

Brooks.  Certainly  I  do;  and  a  murderer 
of  an  aggravated  sort.  For  common  murders 
are  often  committed  in  the  heat  of  passion — 
or  a  sudden  surprise  ;  but  with  the  duellist,  all 
iSv  cool  and  dehberate.  " 

Frank.  Why  then  do  so  many  duels  take 
place,  aniong  great  men  in  Washington,  and 
among  officers  of  the  army  and  navy .'' 


92'  FRANK  harpek;  or, 

Brooks.  Because  they  fear  man  more  than 
God.  Always  remember  the  saying  of  a 
great  man,  My  son,  fear  God  and  you  will 
fear  none  else.  There  are  very  bad  princi- 
ples abroad  in  the  world,  in  regajd  to  honour, 
retaliation,  courage  and  revenge.  They  are 
'implanted  in  boys,  or  they  would  never  bring 
forth  such  fruit  in  men. 

Frank.  What  principles  do  you  mean, 
sir? 

Brooks.  Such  as  these  :  If  any  one  strikes 
me,  I  must  strike  back. — If  any  one  insults 
me,  I  must  strike  him. — If  any  one  injures 
me,  I  must  avenge  my  honour. — These 
are  all  directly  opposed  to  the  gospel. 

Frank.  But  true  courage  is  a  very  noble 
thing. 

Brooks.  So  it  is  ;  most  pleasmg  to  God, 
and  most  honourable  to  man.  But  no  one 
has  it  who  is  not  a  true  Christian.  No  one 
is  fully  above  the  fear  of  death,  for  example, 
who  does  not  entertain  a  good  hope  of  happi- 
nesF  beyond  it      And  one  who  feels  that  he 


THE    COUNTRY    BOY    IN    TOWN. 


93 


•s  always  in  the  presence  of  the  heart-search- 
ing God,  cannot  stand  trembling  at  the 
opinion  o^  the  threats  of  a  fellow-man. 

These  words  set  Frank  to  musing,  and 
filled  him  with  desires  to  know  more  of  that 
blessed  change  of  heart,  of  which  he  felt  his 
need,  more  and  more,  every  day.  It  w^as  the 
subject  now  which  above  all  others  was  on 
his  mind ;  and  It  led  him  that  night  to  more 
earnest  prayer  than  he  had  ever  offered  be- 
fore. 


94  FRANK  harper;  or, 


CHAPTER  XII. 

CONVICTION. 

Hew  lovely  a  sight  is  youthful  devotion , 
There  are  those  who  most  admire  the  glow  of 
boyhood,  in  sports  or  learning.  But  it  is  more 
interesting  still  to  behold  a  youth  bowed  in 
solitude  before  God  in  prayer.  And  the 
sight  is  one  which  gives  joy  in  heaven. 

Frank  Harper  would  have  seemed  already 
a  good  boy,  to  any  who  should  have  seen 
him.  Especially  during  the  last  few  weeks, 
he  had  been  making  earnest  endeavours  to 
walk  in  the  right  way.  But  every  step  he 
took  appeared  to  him  to  reveal  some  new  evil 
in  his  nature. 

It  w^as  an  excellent  custom  of  Mr.  Brooks 
to  spend  some  hours  of  every  week,  ir*  looking 
up  children  for  the  Sunday-school,     [n  these 


THE  COUNTRY  BOY  IN  TOWN.      ?6 

^sits,  he  sometimes  took  Frank  along  with 
him.  On  one  occasion^  they  went  into  a 
dark,  ill-looking  court,  and  up  a  crazy  stair- 
case, into  the  room  of  an  Irish  family.  In  an 
Inner  rooi:i,  (or  rather  closet,)  a  poor  man  was 
'ying  ill  with  the  consumption.  He  looked  as 
if  he  could  not  live  more  than  a  few  days 
longer.  When  he  was  asked  what  hope  he 
had  for  the  future,  he  made  a  reply,  which  is, 
alas !  too  common,  «  I  think  I  shall  go  happy, 
for  I  have  never  done  any  one  any  harm." 
When  they  left  the  house,  Frank  said — "How 
could  O'Brien  talk  so  !  It  is  as  if  he  would 
be  saved  without  a  Saviour.  Ah  !  that  is  not 
the  way  I  feel.  If  I  am  ever  saved,  it  must 
be  by  being  pardoned." 

In  so  saying,  Frank  was  sincere.  Others 
thought  him  go  3d ;  but  he  thought  himself  a 
sinner.  He  was  much  engaged  in  what  is 
called  self-examination;  that  is,  in  looking 
over  his  past  actions  and  life,  and  into  his 
charactei  cmd  heart.  And  the  more  he  looked, 
the  more  he  detected  the  evil  that  was  in  them. 


96  FRANK  harper;  or, 

He  s^w  thit  his  good  actions  had  not  been 
done  from  good  motives.  He  remembered 
the  sins  of  his  youth.  He  felt  that  he  had  more 
to  answer  for  than  others,  on  account  of  his 
religious  education.  He  was  alarmed  at  the 
demands  of  the  law,  which  he  had  broken, 
and  perceived  that  nothing  but  perfect  obedi 
ence  could  satisfy  it.  God  appeared  to  hire 
as  a  God  of  infinite  holiness,  who  could  not 
take  pleasure  in  sin.  He  was  much  employed 
in  confessing  his  sins,  and  bewailing  the  weak- 
ness of  his  nature.  In  these  troubles,  he 
opened  his  mind  very  freely  to  Mr.  Brooks. 

"I  am  glad,"  said  Frank,  one  day,  "that 
Christ  spoke  the  parable  about  the  Publicaa 
and  the  Pharisee.  No  prayer  in  the  JBible 
suits  my  case  so  well  as  this,  God  be  merciful 
to  me  a  sinner  P'' 

Brooks.  Yes,  the  Bible  is  the  sinner's  ow^n 
Dook.  It  is  made  for  sinners ;  just  as  medi 
cine  is  made  for  those  who  are  diseased. 
"They  that  are  whole  need  not  a  physician, 
Dut  they  that  are   iick."     Take  your  Bible, 


THE    COUNTKl    BOY-   IN    TOWN.  97 

Frank,  and  put  a  mark  in  ea  th  of  the  fdlow- 
ing  places :  you  will  find  them  good  to  be 
recommended  to  persons  in  a  thoughtful  state 
of  mind.  (The  places  were,  Job  xlii.  1 — 6  ; 
Psalm  xiii.,  xxxviii.  ;  Psalm  fifty-first  ; 
Psalm  Ixix.  ;  Isaiah  i.,  Iv.,  liii. ;  Luke  xv , 
1  Tim.  i.  15.*) 

Frank.  I  will  carefully  observe  them.  Some- 
times I  fear  I  am  not  enough  in  earnest ; 
but  one  thing  I  am  certain  of,  Mr.  Brooks, 
the  burden  of  my  sins  grows  heavier  and 
heavier. 

Brooks.  So  did  Christian's,  in  the  Pil- 
grim's Progress.     You  have  read  Bunyan  ? 

Frank.  Yes;  some  time  ago,  but  I  must 
read  it  again ;  for  now  1  better  understand 
what  it  means.  It  seems  to  me,  as  if  I  were 
still  in  the  Slough  of  Despond. 

Brooks.  Do  not  forget  wl  it  Christian  did; 
"  still  he  endeavoured  (Bunyan  says)  to  strug- 
gle to  that  side  of  the  slough  thaf  was  farthest 


*  The  reader  is  earnestly  desired  to  look  out  these  pas 
sages,  and  to  impress  them  on  his  memory. 
9 


98  FRANK  Harper;  or, 

from  his  own  house,  and  next  to  the  wicket- 
gate.'"     Whatever  you  do,  do  not  go  back. 

Frank.  T  hope  not !  But  I  do  not  seem  to 
go  forward.  At  first,  1  saw  a  few  sins,  but 
now  they  seem  like  the  stars  of  heaven.  That 
voice  is  always  in  my  ears,  Fly  from  the  wrath 
to  come  ! 

While  Frank  was  thus  exercised  in  mind, 
Mr.  Brooks  took  him  to  a  little  meeting  of 
Christians,  which  assembled  weekly  at  the 
house  of  a  poor  but  excellent  man,  whose 
name  was  Grove.  Mr.  Grove  had  been  a 
truly  active  servant  of  Christ,  but  was  now 
laid  up  with  a  painful  lameness.  It  was 
therefore  an  act  of  kindness  for  his  friends  to 
meet  at  his  house,  and  the  little  company 
always  felt  repaid  for  coming. 

Frank  had  not  before  seen  much  of  that 
intimate  fellowship  which  exists  among  be- 
lievers. He  was  struck  with  the  warmth  and 
freedom  of  their  intercourse.  They  came  to- 
gether as  brethren  ;  they  conversed  on  the 
most   cheering   of   all    subject? ;    they   sung 


THE   COUNTRY    BOY    IN    TOWN.  99 

God's  praises  ;  and  they  kneeled  together  in 
prayer. 

i'  0  how  sad  it  is,"  thought  Frank,  <<  thai 
all  here  should  be  able  to  rejoice  in  God, 
except  me  !  I  wonder  why  I  was  brought 
here  ! — I  am  like  an  Achan  in  the  camp." 

Presently  the  conversation  turned  on  con- 
viction of  sin,  and  one  or  two  of  those  pre- 
sent gave  some  account  of  their  own  early 
exercises.  Frank  was  interested  to  find, 
that  the  feelings  which  he  had  supposed  to 
be  pecuHar  to  himself,  had  been  shared  by 
all  these  friends.  And  he  was  much  struck 
with  a  remark  of  old  Mr.  Grove,  which  was 
this : 

"  No  man  can  derive  solid  joy  from  look- 
ing into  his  own  unrenewed  heart.  For 
what  can  he  see  there  but  sin  ? — and  sin  is 
his  greatest  evil.  Must  he  not,  then,  look 
out  of  himself?  He  must.  And  whither  can 
ne  look,  but  to  the  Lamb  of  God,  that  take-th 
away  the  sin  of  the  «vorld  ?" 

That  night  was  a  night  to  be  remembered 


100 


FRANK    harper;    OR, 


by  Frank  Harper  ;  for  it  was  one  of  fear  and 
weeping.  Often  did  he  endeavour  to  look  at 
the  word  of  promise,  but  his  sins  seemed  to 
rise  over  his  head  like  billows,  and  obstrucf 
the  sight. 


I'HE   COUNTivY    BOY    IN    TOWN.  10! 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

CORRESPONDENCE. 


LETTER  I. 

To  Mrs.  Abigail  Harper, 

New  York,  April  -— ,  1G45. 

Dear  Mother, — I  hope  you  will  not  be 
frightened,  when  I  tell  you  that  I  am  sitting 
up  in  bed  to  write  to  you  :  and  if  the  writing 
is  not  very  good,  you  will  please  to  remem- 
ber, that  I  have  my  left  arm  bandaged  up. 
But  first  of  all,  be  sure  to  take  notice,  that  I 
am  doing  very  well ;  and  Doctor  Smith  says 
that  no  permanent  evil  will  result  from  it. 
But  I  forget  that  you  have  not  yet  heard  any 
of  the  particulars.     Last  Friday  week,  I  was 

coming  up  Exchange  Place,  which  is  a  very 
9* 


1(*?  FRANK   HARPER  ;    OR, 

narrow  street,  as  well  as  quite  steep,  along 
with  a  young  man  named  Brooks,  who  boards 
with  us.  All  at  once,  I  saw  a  small  wagon 
coming  furiously  in  the  opposite  direction, 
with  a  young  woman  in  it.  The  horse  was 
running  away,  and  the  driver  had  been 
thrown  out.  I  never  thought  a  moment,  but 
dashed  into  the  street,  and  tried  to  stop  the 
horse  by  throwing  up  my  hands.  I  then 
seized  the  bridle,  which  broke  in  my  hands, 
and  I  was  thrown  under  the  wheel.  The 
check  given  to  the  horse  made  it  more  easy  to 
stop  him,  at  the  next  corner ;  so  the  young 
woman  escaped.  But  when  I  got  up  I  found 
that  my  arm  was  broken.  Mr.  Brooks  took 
me  safely  home,  and  a  surgeon  was  sent  for, 
who  set  the  bone,  and  put  the  limb  in  a 
splint.  I  have  suffered  a  good  deal  of  pain, 
but  I  think  I  have  not  grumbled.  It  is  a 
mercy  that  my  life  has  been  spared. 

My  dear  mother, — I  have  thought  much  of 
what  I  talked  with  you  about,  when  I  was  at 
njme.      Nobody   knows    how   much    it   has 


THE    COUNTRY    BOY    IN    TOWN.  103 

been  on  my  mind  since  I  have  been  lying  on 
this  bed.  It  is  wonderful  to  me,  that  I  should 
have  spent  so  many  years  in  thoughtlessness, 
especially  when  I  consider  all  the  instruc- 
tions I  have  received  from  you  and  my  father. 
I  have  had  a  long  conversation  with  Mr.  Hal- 
sted,  the  minister,  which  has  only  served  to 
open  my  eyes  to  my  sinfulness.  0  pray  for 
me,  my  dear  mother,  that  I  may  become  a 
true  believer  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

I  intend  to  write  also,  by  the  same  hand, 
to  my  father,  so  I  will  now  subscribe  mystlt 
yo'ir  affectionate  son, 

F.  Harper. 


LETTER  II. 
To  Mr.  Isaac  Harper^  Coventry. 

New  York,  April  15,  1845. 

Dear  Father, — You  will  learn  from  my 
letter  to  mother  what  has  befallen  me.  It  is 
rather  tiresome  lying  ir  "led,  but  I  aow  begin 


101  FBANK    harper;    OK, 

to  have  more  freedom.  Mr.  Boggs  has  been 
to  see  me,  and  Mr.  Wickes,  the  book-keepei, 
comes  in  every  day.  But  no  one  nas  been 
so  kind  to  me  as  a  Mr.  Brooks,  a  very  good 
young  man,  v^ho  was  with  me  at  the  time 
I  was  hurt.  He  gives  me  good  advice,  and 
helps  me  in  every  way.  Since  I  came  to 
know  him,  I  have  not  been  so  lonesome. 
If  I  had  not  got  into  the  company  of  real 
Christians,  I  might  have  been  a  poor  solitary 
fellow  to  this  day  ;  or  else  I  might  have  gone 
into  bad  places,  which  would  have  been  a 
great  deal  worse.  There  are  gentlemen  who 
go  about  distributing  tracts,  all  over  town, 
and  one  of  them  has  been  very  kind  to  me, 
since  I  have  been  laid  up.  I  wish  you  would 
oresent  my  respects  to  Mr.  Miller,  and  say 
that  his  letter  to  Mr.  Halsted  has  been  of  grea* 
service  to  me. 

I  am,  dear  father,  your  dut^iiil  and  affec- 
tionate son, 

F.  Harper 


THE  COUNTRY  BOY  IN  TOWN.     105 


LETTER  III. 
To  Miss  Mary  Harper. 

New  York,  April  16,  1845, 

My  deal  sister  Mary, — I  never  wrote  so 
many  letters  in  my  life  as  since  I  have 
had  my  arm  crippled  ;  which  makes  me 
'glad  it  is  not  my  right  one.  I  dare  say 
you  and  Anne  will  have  a  good  cry  about 
it ;  but  you  need  not,  for  it  is  all  over,  and  I 
am  getting  well.  Besides,  these  things  are 
not  half  so  bad  as  they  are  supposed  to  be. 
Did  you  net  find  this  true,  when  Dr.  Rose 
pulled  your  tooth  ?  You  will  find  it  so  all 
your  life.  Mr.  Brooks  has  been  putting  a 
curtain  to  my  window  (I  have  but  one)  to 
keep  out  the  sun.  I  wish  you  could  see  the 
sewing!  He  calls  it  bachelor-stitch.  Give 
my  love  to  my  cousins  Phoebe  and  Jane,  and 
little  Patty.  Tell  George  he  need  not  be  so 
eager  to  come  to  New  York,  for  he  will  soon 
get  used  to  the  sights,  and  then  he  will  wish 


106 

he  was  in  the  country  again.  Paitcularly 
if  he  should  happen  to  be  sick.  Mr.  Brooks? 
has  a  book  of  poetry  which  says,  "  God  made 
the  country,  and  man  made  the  town ;"  and 
I  have  found  out  that  it  is  true.  But  we  must 
be  contented  with  our  lot.  My  dear  Mary,  be 
obedient  to  your  parents,  and  mind  all  they 
say  about  religion.  Now  that  I  am  away 
from  them,  I  feel  very  sorry  for  my  negligence 
when  I  was  at  home.  Write  to  me,  and  re- 
member your  affectionate  brother 

F.  Harper. 


LETTER  IV. 
To  Miss  Anne  Harper, 

My  dear  little  sister  Anne, — How  I 
wish  I  had  you  by  me !  You  could  conquer 
me  now,  for  I  am  deprived  of  one  arm. 
You  have  heard  how  it  was.  I  thought 
I  could  stop  tne  horse  with  ease,  for  he  did 
not  look  much  more  spirited  than  our  Roan ; 
and  after  he  stopped,  he  looked  as  sober  as 


THE  COUNTRY  BOY  IN  TOWN.     107 

could  be.  But  he  was  dashing  down  hill,  and 
t  was  not  as  strong  as  I  fancied. 

-.  suppose  you  have  many  signs  of  spring 
in  the  country.  Here  I  do  not  hear  any  birds 
except  cage-birds.  There  are  many  of  these. 
A  man  in  John  Street,  named  Grieve,  has  the 
most  wonderful  collections  of  birds.  Some- 
times you  may  see  a  hundred  together.  His 
parrots  used  to  converse  with  me  every  day, 
as  I  went  to  the  store.  Tell  Jonathan,  that 
if  he  would  send  some  of  his  pheasants  to 
market,  he  would  get  a  good  price  for  them. 
And  if  you  and  Mary  would  get  him  to  set 
you  out  a  strawberry-bed  of  your  own,  it  might 
do  a  good  deal  towards  supporting  you. 

Good-bye,  dear  Anne ;  I  am  ever  your 
affectionate  brother,  F.  Harper. 


108  FRANK  harper;  or, 

LETTER  V. 

To  Mr.  Theodore  Free. 

My  dear  Teacher, — I  have  been  writing 
\o  all  my  relations  at  home,  and  now  1 
feel  a  wash  to  fulfil  my  promise  to  you. 
Often  do  I  think  of  the  good  advice  you 
used  to  give  me  ;  and  much  of  it  has  been 
of  use  to  me  already.  Your  lessons  in 
writing  are  likely  to  be  very  serviceable  to 
me,  just  as  you  prophesied.  Mr.  Buncombe 
saw  a  bill  which  I  copied,  and  said,  ^«  My 
boy,  that  is  a  clerkly  hand,  and  fit  for  a  Bank- 
ledger.  That  comes  of  the  old-fashioned 
ciphering  books !"  Mr.  Brooks  says,  that  a 
first-rate  hand  is  worth  several  hundred  dol- 
lars to  a  young  man  in  business. 

I  have  forgotten  some  of  my  Geography; 
but  when  our  find  goods  come  in  from  France, 
it  is  pleasant  to  me  to  know  the  places.  A 
gentleman  was  here  the  other  day  from  Lyons, 
on  the  Rhone.  Mr.  Boggs  has  been  there  twice, 
and  sends  letters  out  there  several  times  a  year 


THE    COUNTRY    BOY    IN    TOWN.  109 

Dc  you  remember,  sir,  what  you  used  to 
tell  }  )ur  boys  about  Arithmetic  ?  <'  Boys, 
mind  the  Four  Rules  :  they  are  the  North, 
South,  East,  and  West,  of  your  compass  :  * 
or  "  Boys,  mind  the  four  rules  ;  the  corner- 
stones are  Addition,  Subtraction^  Multiplica- 
tion, "md  Divi^jn^  I  am  glad  enough,  that 
you  kept  us  so  long  in  Addition,  when  I  see 
the  enormous  rows  of  dollars  and  cents  which 
our  clerks  have  to  foot  up.  And  how  quickly 
ihey  do  it — like  counting  marbles  !  And  how 
sure  they  are  that  the  total  is  right — without 
proving.  They  say  that  old  Mr.  Smith,  the  rich 
man  of  Canandaigua,  once  took  his  son  to  the 
top  of  a  hill,  which  overlooked  his  immense 
estate,  and  said  to  him  :  <'  Tom,  do  you  want 
to  know  what  made  me  the  owner  of  all  this  ? 
I  will  tell  you  in  one  word — Arithmetic." 
One  of  Mr.  Boggs's  sayings  is,  Bad  ciphering 
makes  half  the  bankrupts. 

But  you  must  not  think  that  my  mm  a  xs 

taken  up   with  money-making  ;  though  it  is 

the  chief  thing  talked  about  here.     Mr.  Hal- 
10 


110  FRANK    harper;    OR, 

sted  says  there  is  a  golden  idol  in  Wall  Street, 
as  truly  as  ever  there  was  in  the  plain  of  Dura.* 
I  hope  I  shall  never  forget  your  counsel  about 
the  things  of  another  world.  Sir,  I  should  like 
to  have  more  of  them,  in  a  letter ;  for  I  have 
been  thinking  more  of  these  things  than  I 
used  to  do.  And,  to  tell  you  the  truth,  I  am 
often  very  much  discouraged.  For  all  my 
e^.'deavours  to  make  myself  better  seem  to 
be  in  vain ;  and  I  can  only  cast  my  poor 
sinful  soul  at  the  feet  of  Infinite  Mercy,  say- 
ing, Lord  help !  or  I  perish  ! 

Please  to  accept  of  the  half-ream  of  French 
paper,  which  John  Brewer  will  take  with  the 
letters.  It  will  be  very  pretty,  for  the  verses 
which  you  write  so  beautifully,  for  rewards 
of  merit. 

I  am,  J)ear  Sir,  your  respectful  and  obliged 
pupil,  F.  Harper, 

*  Dan.  iii.  1. 


THE  COUNTRY  BOY  IN  TOWN.     Ill 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE     PASTOR. 

The  door  of  Frank's  room  opened,  one 
day,  and  who  should  come  in  but  good  Mr. 
Halsted !  He  was  a  tall  and  dignified  old 
gentleman,  with  silver  hair,  and  a  counte- 
nance expressive  of  benignity  and  happiness. 
Frank  was  a  little  embarrassed,  for  his  room 
was  not  in  very  good  order,  and  his  dress 
was  scarcely  neat  enough  for  company.  But 
he  had  good  sense  enough  to  make  the  best 
of  it,  and  to  offer  no  apologies. 

Mr.  Halsted  made  some  kind  inquiries 
about  Frank's  accident,  and  commended  his 
courage.  He  then  went  on  to  relate  some- 
thing of  the  same  sort,  which  had  once 
befallen  himself,  and  told  some  anecdotes 
about  his  early  life  in  the  country,  whicn 
pleased  Frank  so  much  that  he  soon  felt  quit6 


112  FRANK    harper;    OR, 

at  his  ease.  The  old  gentleman  came,  by 
slow  degrees,  to  speak  of  the  most  important 
of  all  subjects,  and  said  to  Frank,  that  he 
ought  to  consider  this  dispensation  of  Provi- 
dence as  a  new  call  on  him  to  consecrate 
himself  entirely  to  the  Lord,  his  Preserver. 
To  this  Frank  modestly  replitd,  that  he  had 
felt  his  obligation  so  to  do.  The  conversa- 
tion which  then  followed  brought  Mr.  Hal- 
sted  to  understand  the  state  of  Frank's  mind, 
as  it  has  been  described  in  the  foregoing 
pages.  He  therefore  proceeded,  with  great 
care  and  affection,  to  give  him  such  advice 
as  seemed  to  suit  his  young  friend.  I 
will  record  some  parts  of  their  conversa- 
tion. 

Mr.  H.  Your  case,  my  young  friend,  is  bj 
no  means  uncommon  ;  I  have  had  many  under 
my  care  who  were  thus  affected.  You  have 
been  anxious  and  dissatisfied  with  yourself 
for  some  time.  You  have  thought  much  of 
your  sins;  they  have  seemed  great  to  you 
You  have  trembled  for  fear  of   God's  judg- 


THE  COUNTRY  BOY  IN  TOWN.     113 

ments.  You  see  that  there  is  no  way  of 
escape,  except  by  mere  mercy,  and  that* you 
might  be  justly  condemned.  My  dear  boy 
this  is  what  is  called  conviction  of  sin. 

Frank.  Yes,  sir,  you  have  described  my 
case,  but  I  have  heard  you  say  in  your  sermons 
that  many  persons  are  convinced  who  are 
never  converted. 

Mr.  H.  That  is  true  enough.  I  do  not 
wish  to  flatter  you.  I  do  not  wish  to  persuade 
you  that  you  are  converted,  when  you  are 
not.  You  are  right,  conviction  is  not  conver- 
sion. 

Frank.  Oh !  then,  sir,  what  must  I  do  to 
be  saved  ? 

Mr.  H.  I  could  answer  that  question  at 
once,  and  in  the  words  of  Scripture :  but,  at 
present  I  wish  to  lead  you  to  see  what  it  is 
you  need.  You  probably  have  endeavoured 
to  reform  your  life  ? 

Frank.  Yes,  sir,  I  have  endeavoured :  but 

it  has  only  shown  me  my  own  sinful  weak 

ness. 

10* 


114  FRANK    harper;    OR, 

Mr,  H.  How  do  you  suppose  a  sinner  is 
to  be  saved  ? 

Frank.  I  suppose  it  to  be  by  faith  m  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

Mr.  H.  Have  yoii  believed  in  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  ? 

Frank.  I  fear,  sir,  I  have  not. 

Mr.  H.  Can  you  expect  to  be  safe,  or  to 
enjoy  the  peace  of  the  gospel,  before  believ- 
ing? 

Frank.  Sir,  I  had  not  thought  of  it  just  in 
that  way.  I  know  we  must  believe — but  I 
have  always  thought  that  we  must  first  have 
such  and  such  feelings — must  be  greatly  hum- 
bled— greatly  distressed — and  greatly  alarmed : 
and  I  fear  this  work  is  not  deep  enough  in 
me. 

Mr.  H.  Your  feeling,  then,  is,  that  you  are 
not  fit  to  come  to  Christ  ? 

Frank.  Exactly  so. 

Mr.  H.  And  are  you  trying  to  fit  yourself? 

Frank.  Yes — no — indeed,  sir.  I  scaTcly 
know  how  to  answer. 


THE  COUNTRY  BOY  IN  TOWN.     116 

Mr,  H.  But  I  will  answer  for  you ;  ^Jie  case 
.s  a  ^ery  common  one — so  common  that  I 
Happen  to  have  a  book  with  me,  which  treats 
particularly  of  it.  Here  is  a  volume  of  Mr. 
Wesley's  Journal:  let  me  read  you  an  ex- 
tract  

Frank.  But  Wesley  was  a  Methodist. 
Mr.  H.  Yes,  the  founder  of  that  society 
Frank.  And  you  are  not  a  Methodist — 
Mr.  H.  No,  I  am  not.     Neither  am  I  about 
to   quote  from  a  Methodist.     Mr.  Wesley  is 
here  using  the  words  of  a  Moravian,  whose 
sermon  he  records.     So  you  shall  have  the 
testimony   of  three   religious    persuasions,   to 
what  I  am  about  to  teach  you.     The  words 
are  these : 

"  But  you  will  say,  <Must  I  not  grieve  and 
mourn  for  my  sins  ?  Must  I  not  humble  my- 
self before  God  ?  Is  not  this  just  and  right  ? 
And  must  I  not  first  do  this,  before  I  can  expect 
God  to  be  reconciled  to  me  ?'  I  answer,  it 
is  just  aird  right.  You  must  be  humbled  be- 
fore God.     YoM  must  have  a  broken  and  con- 


116  FRANK    harper;    5R, 

trite  heart.  But  then  observe,  this  is  not  yoni 
own  work.  Do  you  grieve  that  you  are  » 
sinner  ?  This  is  the  work  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
Are  you  contrite  ?  Are  you  humbled  befort 
God  ?  Do  you  indeed  mourn,  and  is  youi 
heart  broken  within  you  ?  All  this  worketh 
the  self-same  spirit. 

"  Observe  again,  this  is  not  the  foundation. 
It  is  not  this  by  which  you  are  justified.  This 
is  not  the  righteousness,  this  is  no  part  of  the 
righteousness,  by  which  you  are  reconciled 
unto  God.  You  grieve  for  }our  sins.  You 
are  deeply  humble.  Your  heart  is  broken. 
Well ;  but  all  this  is  nothing  to  your  justifi- 
cation. The  remission  of  your  sins  is  not 
owing  to  this  case,  either  in  whole  or  in  part. 
Ycur  humiliation  and  contrition  have  no  in- 
fluence on  that.  Nay,  observe  further,  that  it 
may  hinder  your  justification ;  that  is,  if  you 
build  any  thing  upon  it ;  if  you  think,  <  1 
must  be  so  or  so  contrite.  I  must  grieve  more 
before  I  can  be  justified.'  To  think  you  must 
DC  more  contrite,  more  humble,  more  grieved. 


THE  COUNTRY  BOY  IN  TOWN.      117 

mo7e  sensible  of  the  weight  of  sin,  before  you 
can  be  justified,  is  to  lay  your  contrition, 
your  grief,  your  humiliation,  for  the  founda- 
tion of  your  being  justified :  at  least,  for  a 
part  of  the  foundation."* 

Frank.  That  is  exactly  what  I  have  been 
doing,  all  along !  I  see  ray  error.  But  0  what 
am  I  to  do  ! 

Mr.  H.  Believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

Frank.  But  oh !  I  am  such  a  sinner. 

Mr.  H.  "This  man  receiveth  sinners." 

Frank.  But  may  I  come  just  as  I  am? 

Mr.  H.  Certainly — unless  you  can  first  be 
saved  from  your  sins,  and  then  come. 

Frank.  But  how  do  I  know  that  I  shall  be 
received } 

Mr.  H.  That  is  exactly  what  faith  has  to 
believe.  God's  promise  is  all  you  have  to 
go  upon.     Can  you  rest  on  God's  w^ord } 

Frank.  0  yes,  sir  ! 
Mr.  H.  Then  hear  it :  «  Ho  every  one  that 
(hirsteth,  come  ye  to  the  waters,  and  he  that 

*  Wesley's  Journal,  date  Aug.  8,  1738. 


118  FRANK   harper;    OR, 

hath  no  money ;  come  ye,  bi/y  ana  eat;  yea^ 
come  buy  wine  and  milk,  vnthout  money  and 
without  pricey*  "  Though  your  sins  be  ai 
scarlet,  they  shall  be  as  white  as  snow  ;  though 
they  be  red  like  crimson,  they  shall  be  as 
t/;oo/."f  tt  And  whosoever  will  let  him  takt 
the  water  of  life  freely. ''''\  a  This  is  a  faith- 
ful saying  and  worthy  of  all  acceptation^ 
that  Christ  Jesus  came  into  the  world  to  save 
sinners  ;  of  whom  I  am  chief  ^''^ 

Frank.  There,  sir !  I  see  there  is  no  lack 
of  promises;  and  I  begin  to  see  the  whole 
thing  in  a  new  light.  I  wonder  I  never  saw 
xt  so  before  !  I  have  been  trying  to  make  my- 
self better :  I  have  been  tryi  ig  to  be  my  own 
Saviour. 

Mr.  Halsted's  experience  led  him  to  observe, 
that  the  word  of  God  was  taking  its  proper 
effect  on  the  mind  of  his  young  friend.  He 
therefore  brought  the  conversation  to  an  end. 
They  both  kneeled  in  prayer ;  and  when  the 


*  Isaiah  Iv.  1.  t  Is.  ii.  18. 

t  Rev.  xxii.  17.  ^  1  Tim.  i.  15. 


THE  COUNTRY  BOY  IN  TOWN.     119 

pastor  went  away,  he  left  a  tract  entitled  Poor 
Joseph.  After  musing  a  little  on  what  had 
been  said,  Frank  took  up  the  tract  and  read  as 
follows : 

«A  poor  unlearned  man,  named  Joseph, 
whose  employment  was  to  go  on  errands  and 
carry  parcels,  passing  through  London  streets 
one  day,  heard  psalm-singing  in  a  place  of 
worship,  and  went  into  it,  having  a  large 
parcel  of  yarn  hanging  o\''er  his  shoulders. 
It  was  Dr.  Calamy's  church,  St.  Mary's,  Alder- 
manbury.  A  very  well  dressed  congregation 
surrounded  the  doctor.  He  read  his  text  from 
1  Tim.  i.  15 : — <  This  is  a  faithful  saying, 
and  worthy  of  all  acceptation,  that  Jesus 
Christ  came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners, 
of  whom  I  am  chief.'  From  this  he  preached 
m  the  clearest  manner,  the  ancient  and  apos- 
tolic  gospel,  the  contents  of  this  faithful  say- 
ing, that  there  is  eternal  salvation  for  the  vilest 
sinners,  only  through  the  worthiness  of  Jesus 
Christ,  the  God  that  made  all  things.  No* 
many  rich,  not  many  noble,  are  called  by  this 


120  FRANK    HARPER  ;    DR, 

doctrine,  says  the  Apostle;  ^bit  Goi  hath 
chosen  the  weak  things  of  this  world  to  con- 
found the  things  that  are  mighty.' 

<<  While  the  gay  and  thoughtless  part  of  the 
congregation  listlessly  heard  this  glorious  truth, 
— and,  if  they  were  struck  with  any  thing,  it 
was  only  with  some  fine  expression  or  well- 
turned  sentence  that  the  doctor  uttered — Jo- 
seph, in  rags,  gazing  with  astonishment,  never 
took  his  eyes  frorti  the  preacher,  but  drank  in 
with  eagerness  all  that  he  said ;  and  trudging 
homeward,  he  was  heard  thus  speaking  with 
himself:  'Joseph  never  heard  this  before; 
Jesus  Christ,  the  God  who  made  all  things, 
came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners  lil  e  Joseph ; 
and  this  is  true  ;  and  it  is  a  "  faithful   fiying."  ' 

"  Not  long  after  this  Joseph  was  s(  sT.ed  with 
a  fever,  and  was  dangerously  ill.  As  vd  tossed 
upon  his  bed,  his  constant  langua^ '  was, 
t  Joseph  is  the  chief  of  sinners,  but  Jesus 
Christ  came  intc  the  world  to  save  siaaers, 
and  Joseph  lover-  him  fo-r  this.'  His  ntigJi- 
Dours    who    came   to   see  him  wondered,  on 


THF    COUNTR'V    BOY    IN    TOWN.  121 

ncarmg  him  always  dwell  on  this,  and  cnly 
this.  Some  of  the  religious  sort  addressed 
him  in  the  following  manner  :  <  But  what  say 
you  of  your  own  heart,  Joseph  ?  Is  there  no 
token  of  good  about  it?  No  saving  change 
there  ?  Have  you  closed  with  Christ,  by  act- 
ing faith  upon  him  ?'  <  Ah  no,'  says  he, 
<  Joseph  can  act  nothmg — Joseph  has  nothing 
to  say  for  himself  but  that  he  is  the  chief  of 
sinners  ;  yet,  seeing  that  it  is  a  '  faithful  saying' 
that  Jesus,  he  who  made  all  things,  came  into 
the  world  to  save  sinners,  why  may  not  Joseph, 
after  all,  be  saved  ?' 

"  One  man  finding  out  where  he  heard  this 
doctrine,  on  which  he  dwelt  so  continually 
and  with  s'lch  delight,  went  and  asked  Dr. 
Calamy  to  come  and  visit  him.  He  came  ; 
but  Joseph  was  now  very  weak,  and  had  not 
spoken  for  some  time,  and  though  told  of  the 
doctor's  arrival,  he  took  no  notice  of  him  ;  but 
when  the  doctor  begun  to  speak  to  him,  as 
sooi.  as  he  heard  the  sound  of  his  voice,  he  in- 
stantly sprang  upon  his  elbows  and  seizing 
11 


122  FRANK  harper;  or, 

him  by  his  hands,  exclaimed  as  loud  as  he 
could  with  his  now  feeble  and  trembling  voice, 
<0h,  sir  !  you  are  the  friend  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
whom  I  heard  speak  so  well  of  him.  Joseph 
is  the  chief  of  sinners  ;  but  it  is  a  "faithful  say- 
ing," that  Jesus  Christ,  the  God  who  made  all 
things,  came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners, 
and  why  not  Joseph  ?  Oh  !  pray  to  that  Jesus 
for  me,  pray  that  he  may  save  me  :  tell  him 
that  Joseph  thinks  that  he  loves  him,  for 
coming  into  the  world  to  save  such  sinners  as 
Joseph.' 

a  The  doctor  prayed  ;  when  he  concluded, 
Joseph  thanked  him  most  kindly  ;  he  then  put 
his  hands  under  his  pillow,  and  took  out  an 
old  rag,  in  which  were  tied  up  five  guineas, 
and  putting  it  into  the  doctor's  hand,  (which 
he  had  kept  all  this  while  close  in  his,)  he  thus 
addressed  him :  <  Joseph,  in  his  folly,  had 
laid  this  up  to  keep  him  in  his  old  age  ;  but 
Joseph  will  never  see  old  age  ;  take  it,  and 
divide  it  ammgst  the  poor  friends  of  the  Loid 
Jesus ;  and  tell  them  that  Joseph  gave  it  to 


THE    COUNTRY    BOY    IN    TOWN,  123 

them  for  His  sake  who  came  into  the  world  to 
save  sinners,  of  whom  I  am  chief.'  So  say- 
ing he  recHned  his  head.  His  exertions  ip 
talking  had  been  too  much  for  him,  so  that  ht 
instantly  expired." 

The  narrative  w^as  new  to  Frank,  and  made 
a  deep  impression  on  his  mind.  He  thought 
of  little  else,  during  the  remainder  of  the  day. 
Poor  Joseph  had  taught  him  the  great  lesson 
of  looking  away  from  himself  to  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ ;  and  when  he  fell  asleep  that  night,  (as 
he  afterwards  said,)  he  seemed  to  have  for- 
gotten that  there  was  such  a  being  in  existence 
as  himself:  so  fully  was  he  absorbed  in  con- 
templating the  eycellency  and  grace  of  the 
Redeemer. 


124  FRANK  haki'er;  or, 


CHAPTER  XV. 

A    REMARKABLE     CHANGE. 

It  was  a  trial  of  patience  to  Frank,  to  be 
kept  so  long  in  his  room,  and  it  is  probably 
wearisome  to  the  reader  to  hear  so  much 
about  it.  We  shall  therefore  hasten  to  the 
time  when  he  was  able  to  return  to  his  busi- 
ness. 

The  month  was  May,  and  the  seaj  on  was 
delightful.  How  refreshing  is  it  to  the  invalid, 
after  long  confinement,  to  breathe  the  balmy 
air  of  spring !  Frank  felt  this,  as  he  walked 
with  his  faithful  friend  upon  the  Battery.  The 
trees  were  putting  forth  their  early  leaves.  A 
gentle  breeze  just  ruffled  the  surface  of  the 
spacious  bay,  which  whS  ploughed  in  every 
direction  by  vessels  of  every  size.  Number? 
of  small  sail-boats  shot  along,  skimming  the 
"haters  as  if  the)  had  been  alive.     At  intervals, 


THE  COUNTRY  BOY  IN  TOWN.     125 

the  whiz  of  a  steamboat,  as  it  speeded  by, 
broke  in  upon  the  stillness.  The  ship  of  the 
line,  (the  North  Carolina,)  was  lying  in  the 
stream,  a  noble  object,  looking  as  if  it  were 
almost  irresistible.  There  was  also  an  Italian 
vessel  at  anchor,  dressed  with  gay  flags  and 
streamers,  on  every  mast  and  yard,  in  honour 
of  the  birth-day  of  the  king  of  Naples.  Other 
objects  added  to  the  interest  of  the  scene. 
On  this  side  stretch  the  masses  of  building  of 
the  city,  with  wharfs  and  a  forest  of  masts. 
Yonder  is  Governor's  Island,  with  its  green 
slopes  and  fortifications,  from  which  the  roll 
of  the  drum  may  be  heard.  Further  in  the 
distance  are  the  hills  of  Jersey,  and  the  bold 
shore  of  Staten  Island,  sparkling  wdth  villas ; 
and  then,  far  away,  the  opening  to  the  Atlan- 
tic, which  is  known  as  the  Narrows.  A  soil 
sunshine  played  on  the  w^hole,  and  the  multi- 
tude of  sounds,  on  the  water  and  the  land, 
mingled  into  a  pleasing  murmur. 

Sometimes  sitting  and  sometimes  walking, 

the  two  friends  talked  of  the  objects  around 
11* 


126  FRANK   harper;    OR, 

them  but  gradually  came  round  to  that  which 
was  most  dear  to  them  both. 

.  « I  do  not  know  how  it  is,"  said  Frank, 
'<but  I  never  enjoyed  these  sights  so  much 
before :  often  as  I  have  been  here.  Every 
thing  has  a  new  appearance.  The  air  is  more 
sweet  and  refreshing,  and  I  feel  as  if  I  loved 
all  that  I  see." 

Brooks  looked  kindly  on  the  placid  face  of 
his  young  companion,  but  said  nothing. 

"Is  it  right  to  feel  so  happy?"  continued 
Frank:  <' every  thing  within  me  seems  quiet, 
like  that  smooth  water  of  the  bay.  It  is  very 
peaceful  and  very  delightful ;  but  is  it  right?" 

"  It  is  certainly  not  wrong,"  replied  Brooks, 
to  feel  peaceful  and  happy.  There  is  a  peace 
of  God  that  passes  all  understanding.  The 
fruit  of  the  Spirit  is  peace. ^  If  you  have 
peace  with  God,  through  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  all  is  well.  Let  me  ask  you  a  ques^ 
tion — How  do  you  feel  towards  God  ?" 

Frank  hesitated  a  little,  as  if  afraid  to  an- 
swer so  important  a  question  hastily,  and  then 


THE    COUNTRY   BOY    IN    TOWN.  127 

said,  with  a  low  voice :  "  I  think  I  love  God. 
I  see  him  in  every  thing.  Every  thing  seems 
dearer  to  me  because  he  made  it,  and  because 
he  is  present  with  it.  Formerly  I  did  not 
think  much  about  God ;  now  he  appears 
always  near  ;  and  it  is  pleasant  and  easy  to 
pray  within  myself." 

"  How  do  you  feel  towards  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  ?"  inquired  Brooks. 

Frank's  cheek  reddened,  and  his  eyes  filled 
with  tears  ;  but  a  smile  played  upon  his  lips. 
"  Oh  I  cannot  tell  you  !  He  has  died  for  me  ' 
I  think  he  has  saved  my  soul.  I  am  filled  with 
shame  and  sorrow  for  the  way  in  which  I 
have  treated  him.  But  if  he  will  allow  me, 
r  desire  to  throw  myself  at  his  feet  and  give 
myself  away  to  him,  for  ever  and  ever." 

<<Then  I  suppose,  Frank,  you  think  your- 
self a  great  deal  better  than  you  once  were — " 

"  Do  not  speak  of  it !  I  see  my  own  weak* 
ness  and  viJeness  more  than  ever.  I  see  my 
need  of  the  fountain  that  is  opened  for  sin  ana 
transgression.     I  cannot  compare   myself  te 


128  FRANK  harper;  or, 

any  thing  but  a  poor,  weak,  little  chi  d  :  God 
must  hold  me  up  with  his  hand ;  I  cannot  go 
alone." 

"How  then,"  said  Brooks,  <<do  you  ex- 
pect ever  to  be  saved  ?  If  you  have  no  strength, 
and  no  righteousness  of  your  own,  how  can 
you  satisfy  God's  holy  law  ?" 

«  Christ  has  satisfied  the  law  for  me.  He 
has  died  on  the  cross,  and  borne  my  sins  in 
his  own  body  on  the  tree.  He  has  brought  in 
an  everlasting  righteousness.  He  is  able  and 
willing  to  save  the  chief  of  sinners." 

«  Do  you  beheve  this,  Frank  ?" 

"  How  can  I  help  believing  it !  The  pro- 
mise of  the  gospel  is  plain — very  plain.  It 
shines  like  a  bright  light.  If  I  do  not  beheve 
it,  I  must  disbeheve  God." 

«But,  Frank,  every  one  does  not  believe  it; 
you  did  not  always  believe  it.  What  great 
things  have  you  done,  to  make  you  so  much 
better  than  others  ?" 

Frank  looked  steadily  in  his  face,  with  an 
air  of  surprise,  and  answered  quickly, 


THE  COUNTRY  BOY  IN  TOWN.     129 

« I  have  done  no  great  thing — I  am  no  better 
than  others  ;  but  I  think — I  beUeve — that  God 
has  shown  me  mercy,  and  has  sent  his  Holy 
Spirit,  to  make  me  see  my  sins,  and  to  make 
me  see  the  willingness  of  Christ  to  save  me." 

«  How  do  you  feel  towards  sin  ?  You  be- 
lieve that  the  blood  of  Christ  cleanses  from 
all  sin.  Does  this  make  you  ready  to  sin 
more,  because  you  know  where  pardon  may 
be  found?" 

"  Oh  no  !  no !  that  would  be  like  crucify- 
ing the  Lord  again.  It  was  sin  that  put  him 
to  death.  He  is  our  Saviour  from  sin.  It 
seems  to  me  that  the  more  I  look  at  the  cross, 
the  more  hateful  does  sin  become." 

"  My  dear  fellow,"  said  Mr.  Brooks,  "  I  am 
really  thankful  that  you  have  been  thus  wrought 
upon.  Now,  observe — I  do  not  tell  you  that 
you  are  certainly  born  again.  I  never  venture 
on  this.  God  only  can  read  the  heart.  But  one 
thing  I  am  sure  of;  the  blessed  Spirit  nus  been 
moving  on  your  soul ;  and  my  hope  is,  that 
He  is  leading  you  along,  in  the  w^ay  to  his 


130  FRANX    harper;    OR, 

kingdom.  Now  remember,  you  must  not  ex- 
pect to  be  always  joyful.  Look  yonder,  at 
that  vessel  in  the  stream,  which  has  weighed 
anchor  and  is  just  getting  under  sail.  She  is 
about  to  leave  the  harbour.  All  is  placid  and 
gay,  and  the  skies  and  sea  look  as  if  they 
could  never  be  clouded  or  disturbed.  But 
she  will  meet  with  head  winds,  and  perhaps 
with  storms.  So  it  is  with  the  young  Chris- 
tian. You  cannot  trust  in  God  too  much,  nor 
rejoice  in  God  too  much ;  but  remember,  you 
must  be  prepared  for  head  winds  and  stormy 
weather." 

My  young  reader,  if  you  have  a  pioTis  and 
judicious  adviser,  bless  God  for  it :  and  if  you 
have  not  such  a  one,  seek  him  earnestly,  and 
without  delay.  Ask  his  counsel.  Delight  in 
his  company.  With  God's  blessing  it  will 
keep  you  from  the  evils  of  a  great  city,  and 
be  of  more  value  to  you  than  any  promotion,  ot 
than  thousands  of  gold  and  s;  Iver. 


THE   COUNTRY   BOY    IN    TOWN.  13'i 


CHA.PTERXVI. 

YOUTHFUL     ACTIVITY. 

I  HAVE  said  much  about  the  evils  of  a  great 
sity,  and  some  may  be  ready  to  think  that 
cities  have  nothing  in  them  but  evil.  This^ 
however,  is  far  from  the  truth.  As  there  are 
many  temptations  and  vices,  so  there  are 
many  opportunities  of  doing  and  receiving 
good.  We  have  known  no  Christians  more 
useful  than  some  who  live  in  these  very  places.* 
In  great  towns,  and  other  crowded  popula- 
tions, there  is  a  wide  field  for  the  exertions 
of  believers ;  and  young  persons  in  particular 

*  If  the  reader  would  see  a  most  impressive  and  interesl- 
\ng  illustration  of  this,  let  him  read  "The  Useful  Chris- 
tian; or,  the  Life  of  Thomas  Cranfield,"  published  by  the 
American  lunday-school  Union. 


132  FRANK  harper;  or, 

are  very  active  in  this  work.  There  are  thou- 
sands engaged  thus,  among  the  poor,  the  ig- 
norant and  the  vicious.  Many  of  these  zealous 
labourers  are  busily  employed  every  hour  of 
daylight,  during  the  week  ;  but  it  is  delight 
ful  to  observe  how  many  ways  they  contrive 
to  redeem  time  for  good  works,  in  the  even- 
ings and  on  the  Sabbath.  Let  us  pray  for  a 
blessing  on  their  teaching,  their  visits  of  mercy, 
their  search  after  neglected  and  vicious  chil- 
dren, their  distribution  of  Bibles  and  other  books, 
and  upon  all  their  labours  of  love. 

After  the  prayer-meeting  on  the  second  Mon- 
aay  of  the  month,  the  teachers  used  to  talk  over 
their  plans  and  operations.  Frank  had  been 
invited  to  remain,  because  he  had  been  raised 
to  the  post  of  assistant-librarian  in  his  school. 
There  was  a  talk  among  the  young  men  about 
a  new  school,  in  a  very  wicked  and  destitute 
neighbourhood.  The  great  difficulty  was  the 
want  of  teachers.  It  was  generally  agreed 
that  Mr.  Brooks  should  undertake  the  manage 


THE  COUNTRY  EOl  IN  TOWN.   *  133 

ment  of  the  new  school ;  and  he  expressed 
his  desire  to  take  Frank  along,  as  one  of  his 
teachers.  This  was  somewhat  startling  to 
Frank,  but  his  desire  of  usefulness  had  re- 
ceived a  new  impulse  of  late,  and  he  con- 
sented, though  with  fear  and  trembling.  We 
must  now  accompany  him  in  some  of  his 
recruiting  operations. 

The  true  way  of  founding  a  new  Sunday- 
school  is,  not  to  wait  for  scholars  to  come, 
but  to  go  after  them.  If  this  principle  were 
more  generally  acted  upon,  we  should  have 
more  schools  and  better  ones. 

Mr.  Brooks  and  Frank  took  one  of  their 
vacant  afternoons  for  this  service.  The  street 
which  they  first  visited  was  dark  and  dismal. 
But  it  was  filled  with  houses,  and  these  con- 
tained a  numerous  population.  Some  dwellings 
had  a  dozen  famihes  in  each.  There  was  nn 
lack  of  ragged,  dirty,  noisy  children,  playing 
before  the  doors,  in  the  gutters,  and  among 
the  very  horses'  heels.  At  every  few  steps 
13 


134  FRANK   HARPEE,;    OR, 

there  was  a  grocery,  which  was  at  the  same 
time  a  grog-shop.  Bloated,  drunken  men 
were  seen  in  these.  Other  houses  were  oc- 
cupied as  shops  for  old  clothes,  and  old  iron, 
or  as  pawnbroker's  dens  and  exchange-offices. 

Let  us  go .  into  that  tall  wooden  house.  It 
is  very  old.  The  front  window  is  filled  with 
Dottles,  lemons,  cheese,  sausages,  and  the 
like.  The  passage  is  obstructed  by  two 
washing-tubs,  at  which  two  foreign  women 
are  employed,  talking  very  loudly.  But  we 
must  go  up.  The  stairway  is  much  worn, 
and  broken  in  several  places.  A  sneaking 
dog  is  gnawing  a  bone  on  the  landing-place. 
Through  the  open  doors  of  the  second  story 
several  families  may  be  observed.  Two 
children,  tied  in  chairs,  are  crying  vehemently, 
while  their  mothers  seem  to  be  assorting  old 
rags ;  and  two  girls  have  just  come  in,  with 
baskets  of  broken  victuals  under  their  tattered 
shawls. 

But  we  must  ascend  higher.      The  third 


THE  COUNTRY  BOY  N  TOWN.     135 

story  has  four  chambers.  Mr.  Brooks  knocks 
at  a  door,  and  is  invited  in.  It  is  a  poor 
apartment,  with  only  a  few  pieces  of  furniture. 
Some  wretched  prints  in  frames  are  over  tht 
chimney-place.  Near  the  window,  two  mid- 
dle-aged women  are  sitting  at  their  work. 
Three  boys  are  playing  some  game  under  one 
of  the  tables. 

"  Good-day,  Mrs.  Bragg,"  said  Mr.  Brooks ; 
*i  I  do  not  mean  to  take  up  your  time.  I  have 
come  to  see  how  many  of  your  boys  you  will 
send  to  our  Sunday-school." 

"  Oh,  sir,  you  are  very  kind,  but  my  boys 
won't  go  to  any  sort  of  school ;  and  on  Sunday, 
they  would  rather  be  in  the  streets." 

"Bad,  indeed,"  said  Mr.  Brooks;  "but 
have  you  no  wish  that  they  should  learn  some- 
thing ?  You  know  this  way  they  are  in  is  the 
way  to  destruction." 

"  I  know  it — I  know  it — it  is  just  what  I  am 
Baying  to  Bragg  every  day.  But  what  can  I 
do?      The    boys    do    not   mind   a   word   1 


136  FRANK  harper;  or, 


say;  they  think  they  are  their  own  ma» 
ters." 

Here  Tom  and  Bill  gave  a  sort  of  chuckle, 
and  came  out  from  under  the  table,  and  gazed 
impudently  at  the  visitors. 

"Come  here^"  said  Mr.  Brooks,  "here  i^ 
a  card  with  a  very  nice  picture  on  it." 

"  Is  it  a  song?"  said  Tom. 

«  No,  it  is  a  picture  of  a  Sunday-school. 
Read  those  words,  under  the  print." 

Tom  scratched  his  frizzled  locks,  and  said, 
<il  don't  know  how  to  read." 

"  Not  know  how  to  read  !  Oh,  that  is  a  pity 
indeed.  You  are  not  half  a  man,  if  you  can- 
not read.  Now,  would  you  not  like  to  learn  i 
Take  this  card — here  is  another — and  another. 
They  have  the  number  of  the  house  where  the 
school  is  to  be.  Come  next  Sunday ;  you  will 
be  pleased,  and  will  hear  some  fine  singing." 

The  boys  looked  at  the  cards,  as  if  they 
would  gladly  have  said  something  pert  if  they 
i?dd  known  how.    Mr.  Brooks  endeavoured  to 


THE    COUNTRY    BOY    IN    TJ)WN.  137 

get  a  promise  from  Mrs.  Bragg  that  she  would 
send  them.  He  gave  l  couple  of  tracts  to  her 
and  Mrs.  Wilcox,  and  took  leave. 

In  the  next  room  was  a  French  boot-leg- 
crimper  ;  a  tradesman  not  known  in  the  coun- 
try. He  was  at  work  with  a  paper  cap  on 
his  head,  and  spectacles  on  his  nose  ;  and  was 
very  merrily  singing  over  his  work.  He  had 
no  children,  and  would  receive  no  books. 

The  next  room  was  close  and  overheated. 
A  poor  child  was  lying  ill  with  the  measles. 
The  mother  was  from  Connecticut,  and  had 
once  been  better  off;  but  she  had  a  drunken 
husband,  and  misery  had  made  her  almost 
stupid.  Yet  when  Frank  gave  her  the  "  Dairy 
man's  Daughter,"  and  joined  with  Mr.  Brooks 
in  singing  a  hymn  which  she  had  heard  in  her 
infancy,  she  wept,  and  said  that  her  little  girl, 
who  was  now  abroad  picking  up  shavings, 
should  go  to  the  school. 

As  they  reached  the   street,   Mr.   Brooks 
said :  "  This  is  not  pleasant  work,  but  it  ia 
12* 


138  FRANK  harper;  or, 

the  only  way  in  which  the  misery  of  the  pool 
can  be  reached.  We  must  take  it  as  Putnam 
did  the  wolf.  We  must  go  into  the  den  !  This 
is  the  way  also  to  gather  scholars.  I  could 
tell  you  of  wonderful  changes  wrought  by 
religion  in  just  such  places  as  these." 

The  next  house  which  they  visited  con- 
tained several  families.  One  of  them  was 
that  of  a  pious  Scotchman,  w^ho  was  a  plumber. 
He  was  laid  up  with  a  sprained  ankle.  Frank 
was  struck  with  the  neatness  and  cleanliness 
of  the  small  room.  There  was  a  little  pile  of 
old  books  on  the  bureau,  and  the  children 
were  already  connected  with  the  Sunday- 
school.  M^Poor  was  glad  to  hear,  however, 
that  a  new  one  was  to  be  estabhshed  so  near 
to  them.  The  remainder  of  this  house  was 
occupied  chiefly  by  Germans. 

It  would  be  tedious  to  recount  all  these 
visits.  They  occupied  a  number  of  afternoons, 
in  successive  weeks.  Frank  learned  much 
of  the  habit?  of  the  peopLi  whom  he  sought  to 


THE  COUNTRY  BOY  IN  TOWN.     139 

oenejfit.  Besides  the  gathering  of  scholars, 
these  circuits  opened  the  way  for  doing  good. 
They  gave  tracts  and  Bibles.  They  induced 
several  to  attend  public  worship.  They  dis- 
covered cases  of  suffering,  which  were  made 
known  to  benevolent  individuals:  and  they 
carried  comfort  and  instruction  to  several  in 
firm,  aged  and  dying  persons. 

Frank  was  modest.  He  went  rather  as  a 
learner  than  a  teacher.  In  the  few  instances 
where  he  made  visits  alone,  he  sought  to  con- 
vey instruction  by  a  tract  or  book,  or  by  read- 
ing a  chapter  in  the  Bible.  But  he  was 
making  a  good  beginning  in  a  great  work, 
which  cannot  well  have  too  many  labourers. 
His  heart  rejoiced  to  have  any  means  of  ho- 
nouring his  Master ;  and  often  was  he  re- 
warded by  appearance  of  success. 

The  character  of  a  young  disciple  is  so 
soon  formed  for  life,  that  it  is  all-important  to 
engage  in  active  labour  from  the  very  first. 
The  opportunities   afforded  for  this   by  the 


140 


FKANK   harper;    OR, 


Sunday-school  are  very  numerous,  especiaDi 
in  cities.  Therefore  the  sooner  every  capable 
youth  is  enhsted  in  this  service  the  better  foi 
the  community,  and  the  better  for  his  own 
soul. 


THE   COUNTRY   BOY   IN    TOWN.  141 


CIL^PIER  XVII. 

DISAPPOINTMENT. 

Long  before  the  point  of  time  at  which  we 
nave  arrived,  Frank  had  lost  all  traces  of  home- 
sickness and  discontent.  The  novelty  of  a 
town  Hfe  had  worn  off;  but  he  had  in  the 
same  degree  become  familiar  with  his  busi- 
ness, and  with  the  ways  of  a  commercial  city. 
He  was  so  industrious  and  punctual,  so  neat 
and  quick-handed,  so  good  at  copying  and  ac- 
counts, and  so  true  and  trusty,  that  his  em- 
ployers were  every  day  putting  into  his  hands 
little  pieces  of  business,  which  had  hitherto 
been  committed  to  the  elder  clerks.  Thus  it 
is,  that  faithfulness  in  one's  calling  leads  to 
a  good  name  and  to  promotion. 

How  different  it  was  with  his  early  town- 


142  FRANK   HARPER,    dR, 

acquaintances,  Ned  and  Joe !  In  reading  a 
morning  paper,  one  day,  Frank's  eye  alighted 
on  the  following  paragraph,  in  the  Police  Re- 
port : — 

"  Grand  Larceny.  Captain  Wills  and  conste.'ble  Mil 
ton,  of  the  sixth  ward,  arrested  yesterday  at  the  house  of 
Jane  Moggs,  corner  of  Dey  and  Threadneedle  streets,  a 
young  fellow,  named  Joseph  Denton,  on  a  charge  of  rob- 
bing a  Mr.  Louis  Dampier,  while  at  the  island  of  Port-au 
Prince,  of  four  bills  of  the  Bank  of  France,  for  1000  francs 
each,  with  a  promissory  note,  drawn  by  a  Mr.  Choux  of 
Paris,  made  payable  at  the  order  of  Dampier.  On  search- 
ing his  person  and  trunks,  Denton  was  found  in  possession 
of  all  the  money,  except  about  $150  expended  in  the  pur- 
chase of  clothing,  and  a  gold  watch,  which  he  had  bought 
with  the  stolen  money." 

Some  months  after  this,  Frank  was  looking 
at  a  ragged  corps  of  new  recruits  marching 
near  the  arsenal,  when  he  was  astonished  to 
recognise  among  them  his  old  chamber-fellow, 
Ned  Briggs.  He  had  all  the  signs  of  a  drunk- 
ard and  a  villain;  and  Frank  turned  away 
with  a  heavy  heart,  and  with  an  inward 
prayer  for  God's  mercy  on  the  wretched  pro- 
digal. 

But  though  Frank  was  contented,  he  was 
not  altogether  free  from  anxiety.     He  began 


THE  COUNTRY  BOY  IN  TOWN.     143 

to  perceive  that  something  was  wrong  in  the 
house  w^th  which  he  was  connected.  Se- 
veral of  the  young  men  were  discharged.  A 
great  sadness  hung  over  the  two  principals 
They  were  crowded  upon  by  numerous  credi- 
tors, and  spent  much  of  their  time  in  running 
to  friends,vand  writing  to  correspondents,  to 
obtain  accommodations,  "  extensions,"  anq 
other  reliefs.  At  length,  one  morning,  before 
he  left  his  lodgings,  Frank  received  a  note,  by 
the  hands  of  old  Cato,  informing  him  that 
Messrs.  Boggs  and  Buncombe  had  no  further 
need  of  his  services.  In  a  word,  their  store  had 
been  closed  by  the  creditors.  It  is  a  frequent 
but  a  distressing  event,  in  a  commercial  city. 

Frank  was  thus,  all  on  a  sudden,  deprived 
of  employment.  He  was  the  more  embarrassed, 
because  his  friend,  Mr.  Brooks,  had  been  se- 
veral weeks  absent,  on  a  tour  through  the 
Soutliem  and  Western  States,  preparatory  to 
going  into  business  for  himself.  After  musing 
«adly  over  the  case,  he  saw  no  way  open  fo* 


144  FRANK  harper;  or, 

him,  but  to  pack  up  the  little  red  trunk,  and 
return  to  his  father's  house.  Perhaps  Provi- 
dence, which  had  befriended  him  thus  far, 
would  open  some  path  of  usefulness.  At  any 
rate,  he  should  see  his  honoured  parents, 
and  his  dear  sisters  ;  and  perhaps  he  might 
take  another  quarter  in  good  Mr.  Tree's 
school  to  perfect  himself  in  Geography, 
History,  Natural  Philosophy  and  Double 
Entry. 

"  How  shall  I  spend  the    day  ?"   thought 
Frank.     "I  cannot  get  off  till  to-morrow, 
think   I    will    take    a   look   at  the    shipping 
on  the    East   River,    and   examine   the   Dry 
Dock." 

As  he  walked  slowly  up  Chatham  Street,  he 
saw  much  to  fix  his  attention  and  awaken 
thought.  It  '^  a  region  of  pawnbrokers  and 
old  clothes-sellers.  Many  of  these  are  Jews. 
The  national  physiognomy  struck  him  at  once  • 
tliey  were  almost  like  brothers.  He  observed 
that  they  stayed  as  little  as  possible  in  their 


THE  COUNTR'K  BOY  IN  TOWN.     145 

dark  shops,  and  spent  most  of  the  time  pacing 
up  and  down  the  space  before  their  doors  :  it 
is  a  custom  which  they  have  brought  with 
them  from  abroad.  Thus  it  is  that  they  may 
be  observed  in  Frankfort,  in  Amsterdam,  and 
in  Posen.  Most  of  them  were  smoking  and 
talking  German.  Frank  remembered  Mr. 
Grove's  having  told  him  that  there  were  fifteen 
thousand  Jews  in  New  York,  and  that  they 
have  nine  synagogues.  He  called  to  mind, 
that  they  are  the  ^ed  of  Abraham,  and  re- 
solved to  read  o\cr  the  tenth  and  eleventh 
chapters  of  Romans,  on  his  return. 

Among  the  numerous  carriages  which  passed 
him,  he  observed  here  and  there  an  omnibus, 
bearing  a  little  flag,  by  way  of  advertisement, 
concerning  a  great  ship  launch,  near  the  foot 
of  Stanton  street.  He  remembered  that  one 
of  the  Sabbath-school  visitors  was  in  the  em- 
ploy of  Messrs.  Brown  and  Bell,  the  great  ship- 
builders. It  is  a  rational  curiosity  which  leads 
a  young  man  to  seek  such  sights.  Frank 
13 


146  FRANK  harper;  or, 

threrw  himself  into  one  of  the  Dry  Dock  omni- 
buses, and  alighted  in  Lewis  street. 

Crowds  were  pressing  towards  the  ship- 
yard. As  he  turned  a  corner,  near  the  water, 
he  was  startled  at  finding  himself  in  full  view  of 
the  noble  vessel,  and  he  was  immediately  under 
her  bows.  Often  as  he  had  seen  ships  on  the 
river,  where  their  hulls  aie  chiefly  below  the 
surface,  he  had  never  formed  a  just  idea  of 
the  magnitude  of  the  structure.  A  fine  full 
length  statue  of  Washington,  by  Dodge, 
formed  the  figure-head.  Passing  round  into 
the  ship-yard,  he  found  himself  among  a  mul- 
titude, gathered  to  witness  the  launch  of  the 
largest  packet-ship  ever  built  in  America.  It 
was  indeed  what  is  called  a  three-decker,  of 
fifteen  hundred  tons,  and  in  length  of  deck 
measuring  one  hundred  and  eighty- eight  feet. 
The  masts,  of  course,  were  not  complete,  but 
the  length  of  the  main- mast  was  to  be  one 
Hundred  and  ninety-five  feet.  Frank  took 
notice  that  the  bottom  was  not  coppered  •  he 


THE  COUNTRY  BOY  IN  TOWN.     147 

afterwards  learned  that  it  is  common  to  make 
the  first  voyage  and  return  without  coppering. 
Crowds  were  still  pressing  up  the  long  gang- 
ways and  clambering  over  the  bows. 

Frank's  position  was  near  the  stern,  and 
not  far  from  the  water.  The  sound  of  a  mul- 
titude of  workmen  was  heard  chipping  away 
the  blocks  under  the  keel,  and  removing  va- 
rious supports.  At  length  these  noises  grew 
less — ^the  last  retaining  shores  were  removed — 
then  the  dog-shore  was  touched — it  was  a 
moment  of  indescribable  suspense — and  the 
mighty  mass  gUded  majestically  into  the  water. 
Frank's  excitement  was  extreme  ;  he  scarcely 
knew  that  his  hat  was  in  the  air,  or  that  he 
was  mingling  his  shout  with  that  of  the  multi- 
tude. He  felt  a  choking  sensation,  and  when 
a  cannon  just  behind  him  opened  its  brazen 
throat,  he  was  relieved  by  the  reverberation, 
which  seemed  to  give  voice  to  his  pent-up 
thoughts.  The  vessel  went  far  into  the  river, 
ana  moved  with  the  tide  some  iistance   up 


X48 

stream,  but  was  soon  towed  back  to  the  dock 
by  a  small  steamboat. 

All  American  youths  may  well  take  an  in- 
terest in  these  triumphs  of  the  arts  of  peace. 
The  day  is  coming  when  our  oaly  ships  shall 
be  vessels  of  peace.  Let  us  pray,  that  they 
may  carry  the  gospel  to  all  nations ! 

After  the  launch,  Frank  found  his  Sunday- 
school  acquaintance,  Mr.  Thomas,  and  made 
an  arrangement  for  the  little  class  which  he 
was  now  reluctantly  called  to  leave.  On  his 
way  home,  he  stopped  at  the  doors  of  several 
of  his  friends,  and  in  particular  at  that  of  Mr. 
Halsted,  his  pastor. 

The  good  old  gentleman  was  busy,  as 
usual ;  but  he  received  his  young  friend  with 
parental  kindness,  and  gave  him  some  timely 
advice.  "You  are  perhaps  about  to  leave 
New  York  for  good  and  all ;  but  let  us  leave 
that  to  Providence.  The  Lord  often  surprises 
his  (hildren  by  most  unexpected  light  and 
help       These  the  woi  id  calls  <  turns  of 


THE    COUNTRY   BOY   IN   TOWN.  149 

tune :'  but  I  call  them  <  turns  of  Providence/ 
Let  me  give  you  a  motto  for  your  journey — 
for  your  year — and  for  your  life — here  it  is,  on 
a  card : 


Give  yourself,  your  all,  to  the  Lord ;  and 
ha  will  take  care  of  you.  My  son,  remember 
this  for  life !  Commit  thy  way  unto  the  Lord — 
trust  also  in  Him — and  He  will  bring  it  to 
pass. — Acknowledge  the  Lord  in  all  thy  ways, 
and  He  will  direct  thy  paths. ^"^ 

Mr.  Halsted  then  gave  Frank  a  little  volume, 
entitled  Life  in  Earnest,]  saying,  "Read  it — 
read  it  many  times — pray  over  it — practise 
it — it  is  worth  its  weight  in  gold."  And  then 
the  old  gentleman  raised  his  hands,  and  gave 
Frank  his  blessing. 

Frank  had  a  feeling  of  satisfaction,  in  ex- 
pecting to  meet  his  belored  friends;  yet  it 

"'  Rom.  xiv   8. 

f  A  publication  of  the  American  btmday- school  Union. 
13* 


i6o: 


OR, 


must  be  confessed  there  was  some  sadness  in 
leaving  New  York.  It  was  now  his  home.  It 
was  the  place  of  his  employment,  and  where  he 
nad  expected  to  spend  his  Kfe.  It  was,  above 
all,  the  place  where  he  had  received  his  first 
right  views  of  religion.  Here  was  his  pastor ; 
here  were  his  Christian  friends  ;  here  was  his 
Sabbath-school,  and  his  class  of  poor  little 
boys.  Let  us  forgive  him,  if  he  shed  a  few 
secret  tears. 

It  now  remained  for  him  to  settle  his  week's 
bill  with  the  landlady ;  give  directions  for  the 
sending  of  his  Sunday-school  Journal ;  shake 
hands  with  his  fellow-clerks  and  fellow-teach- 
ers; and  then  he  should  be  ready  for  the 
railroad,  in  the  morning. 

As  Frank  sat  in  his  little  attic  room,  late 
that  night,  his  reflections  were  serious.  "  This 
chamber  (thought  he)  is  no  great  things ; — but 
it  has  been  a  happy — happy  room  to  me  !  On 
that  bed — I  first  learned  the  way  to  Christ. 
By  its   side    how  often — how  often  have  I 


THE    COUNTRY    BOY   IN    TOWN-  151 

prayed  to  God !  By  that  old  table — soon 
tc  be  another's — I  have  read  this  blesseo 
Bible  nany  an  hour.  Thank  God  for  all 
this! 

"  The  months  I  have  passed  here  have  been 
favoured  months.  How  raw  and  inexperienced 
was  I !  How  surrounded  oy  evil !  How  won- 
derful the  grace,  which  has  made  me  to  difler 
from  my  evil  companions !  The  same  God 
who  led  poor  wandering  Jacob,  from  Bethel, 
has  surely  been  leading  me.  What  can  I  do 
for  him !" 

This  led  him  to  turn  to  his  Bible  and 
read  over  the  twenty-eighth  chapter  of  Ge- 
nesis. The  closing  verses  came  home  to  his 
feehngs : 

^^And  Jacob  vowed  a  vow,  saying,  If  God 
will  he  with  me,  and  will  keep  me  in  this  way 
that  I  go,  and  will  give  me  bread  to  eat,  and 
raiment  to  put  on,  so  that  I  come  again  to  my 
father'' s  house  in  peace ,  ihen  shall  the  Lord  be 
mp  God    And  this  stone,  which  I  have  set  up  for 


ibi 


FRANK    HARPER.    OR, 


a  pillar  J  shall  be  God^s  house  :  and  of  all  that 
thou  shall  give  me  I  will  surely  give  the  tentn 
unto  thee.^^ 


THE    COUNTRY   BOY   IN    TOWN.  ;53 


CHAPTER  Xnil. 

CONCLUSION. 

The  ways  of  Providence  are  wonderful,  and 
he  who  observes  them  will  find  it  true,  even 
m  the  days  of  his  youth,  Frank  had  risen 
early  in  the  norning,  and  was  soon  on  his 
way  to  the  ferry.  His  emotions  were  of  a 
mingled  nature  :  sadness  at  leaving  his  place 
of  employment — joyful  hope  of  rejoining  the 
circle  at  home.  He  suddenly  thought  of  stop- 
ping at  the  Post-office,  and  there  he  found  a  let- 
ter addressed  to  him  by  his  friend,  Mr.  Brooks. 
On  breaking  the  seal,  he  was  at  once  thrown 
into  a  flutter.  It  informed  him  that  Mr.  Brooks 
was  about  to  open  a  store  in  Fulton  street, 
and  the  letter  went  on  to  say :  "  I  have  en- 
gaged the  services  of  a  young  cousin  of  mine, 
for  my  little  business ;  but  you  know  I  shall 


164  FRANK  harper;  or, 

need  a  clerk  and  salesman ;  and  I  know  no 
one,  my  dear  Frank,  whom  I  would  rather 
have  near  me,  than  yourself.  If,  therefore, 
you  can  consent  to  cast  in  your  lot  with  mine, 
how  delightful  it  will  be !  For  the  present, 
the  utmost  I  can  afford  you  is  a  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars  a  year;  but  this  is  rather  more 
than  you  have  been  receiving  from  Boggs  and 
Buncombe.  Direct  to  me  at  Louisville,  ana 
let  me  know  your  determination." 

Frank  scarcely  knew  which  way  to  turn. 
His  first  thought  was  to  go  back  to  his  lodg- 
ings :  but,  on  consideration,  he  determined  to 
carry  out  his  previous  intention  of  visiting  his 
parents  ;  especially  as  it  would  be  some  weeks 
before  he  should  have  any  business  in  town. 
His  heart  swelled  with  gratitude  to  God  fof 
this  most  seasonable  interposition,  and  he 
went  on  his  way  with  spirits  which  made  the 
journey  one  of  unexpected  pleasure. 

The  arrival  of  Frank  spread  joy  through 
tht  farm-house  at  Coventry.     His  father,  who 


THE  COUNTRY  BOY  IN  TOWN.     155 

was  in  the  corn-field,  saw  him  first,  and  left 
.he  plough,  to  welcome  his  only  son.  His 
mother  was  knitting  by  the  kitchen  fire :  she 
scarcely  believed  her  eyes,  when  the  tall  and 
handsome  youth  who  entered  proved  to  be 
her  own  Frank  Mary  and  Anne  bounded  in 
from  the  dairy,  and  Ihrew  their  arms  about 
his  neck.  Jonathan  shook  his  hand  with  a 
vehemence  which  almost  put  his  wrist  out  of 
joint ;  and  the  old  dog  leaped  as  high  as  his 
head,  and  covered  him  with  violent  caresses. 

Most  of  the  day  was  given  up  to  these  do- 
mestic joys.  There  was  much  to  be  told,  and 
more  questions  were  asked  than  could  be  an- 
swered. Frank  gave  a  detailed  account  of 
his  recent  history,  interspersed  with  many 
new  traits  of  city  life.  All  agreed  that  he  had 
been  the  special  care  of  Providence.  It  was 
an  unspeakable  satisfaction  to  this  affectionate 
brother,  to  observe  indications  of  a  renewed 
heart  in  both  his  sisters.  This  nad  been  the 
csonstanf  burden  of  his  prayers,  and  had  oc- 


156  FRANK  harfer:  or, 

cupied  many  of  his  weekly  letters.  He  also 
found  that  he  could  comprehend  and  estimate 
the  humble  piety  of  his  parents,  in  a  manner 
altogether  unknown  to  him  before. 

A  week  was  spent  in  riding  about  to  see 
his  country  friends.  In  these  visits  he  paid 
his  respects  to  his  relations,  his  minister,  and 
his  teacher,  Mr.  Tree.  With  the  last  of  these, 
he  continued  to  have  frequent  and  profitable 
interviews. 

By  the  advice  of  his  father,  Frank  deter- 
mined to  spend  the  few  remaining  weeks  in 
such  active  exercise  as  might  strengthen  his 
system,  after  the  confinement  of  the  city.  He 
therefore  put  on  a  suit  of  homespun,  and  turned 
in  upon  the  work  of  the  farm.  The  thoughts 
of  his  cnildhood  came  to  him  again,  when, 
during  this  fine  weather  of  early  summer,  he 
walked  slowly  after  the  plough,  enjoying  the 
fragrance  of  the  fresh  earth  and  the  green 
corn ;  or  -when  he  swung  the  scythe  among 
the  first  cutting  Df  the  rich  meadows.     The 


THE  COUNTRY  BOY  IN  TOWN.     157 

dewy  mornings  were  sweet  to  him  oeyond 
expression,  and  he  seemed  to  inhale  vigour 
with  every  breath.  And  then,  when  work 
was  over,  how  charming  were  the  evenings, 
at  the  old  porch,  overgrown  with  honey- 
suckles and  clustenng  roses,  amidst  the  circle 
of  those  whom  he  most  loved! 

Thus  rolled  away  five  or  six  pleasant  weeks, 
when,  one  afternoon,  who  should  alight  before 
Mr.  Harper's  door  but  Mr.  Brooks.  Frank  was 
overjoyed  to  recognise  his  old  friend,  from 
whom  he  soon  learned  that  he  was  ready  to 
commence  business,  and  that  Frank  was 
henceforth  to  be  employed  in  his  store,  and 
to  be  an  inmate  of  his  family;  for,  among 
other  arrangements  of  life,  he  had  married  a 
prudent  and  very  lovely  Christian  lady. 

The  parents  were  much  pleased  with  Frank's 
prospects. 

«  Don't  thank  me  !"  said  Brooks — "  you 
©we  me  no  thanks  at  all.  I  am  consulting 
my  own  pleasure  and  interest.  I  know  Frank, 
14 


158  FRANK    harper;    OR, 

and  he  knov^s  me ;  we  shall  go  well  in  the 
traces  together.  We  have  been  long  enough 
at  lodgings  ;  it  is  time  to  have  a  house,  how- 
ever humble,  where  we  may  worship  God, 
morning  and  evening,  and  where  we  may  oc- 
casionally have  a  circle  of  Christian  friends, 
for  reading  the  word  and  for  prayer " 

We  need  not  follow  our  young  friend  into 
the  further  details  of  his  history.  His  new 
connection  was  all  that  he  could  wish.  Both 
he  and  his  employer  humbly  endeavoured  t 
serve  God  in  their  worldly  calling,  and  God 
was  pleased  to  smile  on  their  business.  Frank 
often  compares  his  situation  to  that  of  a  frail 
little  vessel,  which,  after  being  tossed  in  storms, 
has  come  into  a  quiet  haven. 

There  is  one  lesson,  which  the  author  earn- 
estly desires  to  impress  on  every  reader.  It 
IS,  that  for  a  youth  who  comes  from  the  coun- 
try into  a  great  city,  the  course  of  safety,  useful- 
ness, honour  and  happiness,  is  to  join  himself 
to  persons  of  true  piety,  and  to  commit  him^ 


THE  COUNTRY  BOY  IN  TOWN.     159 

self  by  faith  to  the  guidance  of  God.  There 
is  no  other  protection.  Hundreds  of  young 
men  and  boys  make  the  experiment  every 
year,  and  many  of  them  are  ruined  for  ever. 
Parents  and  guardians  who  send  young  per- 
sons into  th<»  city  act  an  unrighteous  and  un- 
feelmg  part,  when  they  use  no  precaution,  in 
order  to  bring  their  children  and  others  under 
right  influences.  Let  the  youthful  reader 
know  then,  that ««  a  'prudent  man  foreseeth  evil 
and  hideth  himself;  but  the  simple  pass  on,  and 
are  punished  ;  and  that  "  hy  humility  and  the 
fear  of  the  Lord,  are  riches,  and  honour  and 


*  Prov.  xxii.  3,  4. 


JANE    SCOTT 


WRITTEN  FOR  THE  AMERICAN  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  UNION,  AND 
REVISED  BY  THE  COMMITEE  OF  PUBLICATION. 


~]arr.  ■^^■■'^''^. 


kU.  1  ^   V'  ■■■), 


AMERICAN  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  UNION 
1122  Chestnut  St. 


JANE   SCOTT. 


OME  here,  my 
child,  and 
read  in  a 
little  book 
I  have 
made  for 
you.  Tou  have  now 
got  a  new  book,  and 
I  hope  you  will  like 
"^'  it.  What  is  more,  it 
will  do  you  good,  if  you  think 
of  what  you  read.     Let  me  tell 


i  JANE   SCOTT. 

you  a  story  about  Mr.  Bell  and 
Jane  Scott. 

Mr.  Bell  was  a  good  man,  who 
had  a  large  farm  in  the  state  of 
Maine.  He  loved  all  good  boys 
and  girls,  and  tried  to  make  the 
bad  ones  turn  from  their  bad 
ways  to  love  God.  Once  a  week, 
he  went  all  round  the  town  to  see 
who  was  sick,  and  to  give  the 
poor  people  such  things  as  might 
do  them  good.  Tou  might  have 
seen  him  with  a  tract  in  his 
hand,  to  give  to  some  little  boy 
or  girl. 

Among  the  children  that  he 
knows  is  Jane  Scott.  She  is 
about  eight  years  old,  but  she 
does  not  know  much.     She  has 


JANE   SCOTT.  5 

not  been  to  school  to  learn,  for 
she  is  very  poor.  Ought  yoL^ 
not  to  thank  the  Lord  that  you 
have  a  Sunday-school  to  go  to? 


All  the  good  things  we  have  in 
the  world  are  sent  to  us  by  the 
Lord. 

Mr. Bell  talked  with  Jane  the 
other   day,  and  I  wish  you  to 


^  JANE    SCOTT. 

know  what  it  was  they  said 
Look  at  the  picture,  and  you  will 
see  Mr.  Bell  in  his  arm  chair. 
He  is  now  going  to  say  some- 
thing to  Jane. 

Mr,  Bell,  My  dear  child  have 
you  prayed  to  God  this  day  1 

Jane,  No,  sir.  I  do  not  know 
any  prayer,  except  "Now  I  lay 
me  down  to  sleep." 

Mr,  Bell,  Cannot  you  pray  to 
the  Lord  unless  you  learn  a 
prayer  from  somebody? 

Jane,  No,  sir.  It  would  not  be 
right  to  pray  any  thing  that  comes 
into  my  head :  would  it,  sir  1 

Mr,  Bell,  No,  my  child.  You 
must  say  what  is  right  in  your 
prayers.      You  must   say    what 


JANE    SCOTT.  ^ 

you  think  is  true,  and  you  must 
ask  for  what  you  really  want 
When  you  feel  very  hungry,  what 
IS  it  that  you  do  ? 

Jane,  I  go  and  ask  my  mother 
for  some  bread. 

Mr,  Bell,  But  suppose  you  do 
not  wish  to  have  any  bread,  do 
you  ask  your  mother  for  bread 
then? 

Jane,  O,  no,  sir.  I  ask  for 
what  I  want. 

Mr,  Bell,  You  only  ask  for 
what  you  want,  then,  Jane  ? 

Jane,  Yes,  sir. 

Mr.  Bell,  And  unless  you 
really  want  a  thing,  you  never  ask 
your  mother  for  it  ? 

Jane,  No,  sir,  indeed  I  do  not. 


g  JANE    SCOTT. 

It  would  be  silly  in  me  to  beg  for 
what  I  did  not  wish.  But  what 
strange  questions  you  ask. 

Mr.  Belt  We  were  talking  of 
prayer.  Tell  me  what  you  mean 
by  prayer.     What  is  prayer  1 

Jane,  Prayer,  sir!  Why,  1 
think  prayer  is  something  good 
that  we  learn  to  say ;  and  then 
we  kneel  down  every  morning 
and  every  night  and  say  it. 

Mr,  Bell,  But,  my  dear  child, 
is  this  all  you  know  about  prayer  ? 
Suppose  you  go  into  a  room  and 
kneel  down  and  say  the  first 
commandment ;  would  that  be  a 
prayer  ? 

Jane,  No,  sir ;  I  suppose  not. 

Mr,  Bell,  Well,  you  see  it  is 


JANE    SCOTT.  g 

not  every  thing  good  that  we  say 
that  is  a  prayer.  Let  me  tell 
you  what  prayer  is.  It  is  asking. 
To  pray,  is  to  ask.  To  pray  to 
God,  is  to  ask  God  for  what  we 
want.  Whenever  you  ask  God 
for  anything,  then  you  pray. 

Jane.  Why,  sir ;  then  praying 
is  almost  the  same  as  begging. 

Mr,  Bell.  Just  so.  To  pray,  is 
to  beg.  When  you  want  bread 
to  eat,  you  beg  your  mother  for 
it.  Suppose  you  had  no  mother, 
and  were  alone  in  the  woods,  very 
hungry,  and  without  any  food 
near  you/? 

Jane,  Then  I  would  kneel  down 
and  ask  the  Lord  to  give  me  some 
bread. 


IQ  JANE    SCOTT. 

Mr.  Bell  That  would  be 
praying  to  God.  If  you  said,  O 
Lord,  give  iue  some  bread,  it 
would  be  a  prayer.  Because 
praying  is  asking.  Every  one 
that  asks  of  God,  prays  to  God 
Now  you  would  not  need  any 
one  to  teach  you  to  ask  God  for 
bread,  would  you  1 

Jane,  O,  no,  sir.  If  I  was 
going  to  starve,  I  should  know 
well  enough  how  to  ask. 

3Ir.  Bell.  Then  when  you 
really  wish  for  any  thing,  you 
know  how  to  pray  for  it  ? 

Jane.  Yes,  sir. 

Mr.  Bell.  What  is  the  reason 
you  do  not  pray  to  God  to  make 
you  a  good  child  ? 


JANE    SCOTT.  Jl 

Jane.  I  do  not  know,  sir. 

Mr.  Bell  I  will  tell  you.  It  is 
because  you  do  not  really  want 
to  be  good.  You  said  that  when 
you  really  wanted  any  thing  you 
knew  how  to  pray  for  it.  If  you 
really  wished  to  be  a  good,  pious 
child,  you  would  ask  the  Lord  to 
make  you  so. 

Jane.  If  I  go  and  kneel  down 
and  say,  O  Lord.,  Jesus,  make 
me  a  good  child,  would  that  be 
wrong  ? 

Mr.  Bell.  No,  my  dear  little 
girl.  It  will  be  right.  And  if  you 
are  in  good  earnest,  the  Lord 
will  hear  you.  If  you  really  wish 
to  be  a  good  child,  the  Lord  will 
be   pleased    when  you  ask  him, 


12  JANE    SCOTT. 

But  it  is  not  real  praying,  if  you 
are  not  in  earnest.  I  will  show 
you  what  I  mean,  by  telling  you 
a  little  story. 

Once  there  was  a  man,  who 
had  a  fine  peach-tree  in  his  gar- 
den. He  had  a  little  son,  who 
was  about  six  years  old.  One 
day,  when  the  man  was  very  busy 
in  his  shop,  his  little  son  came, 
and  said,  O^  father^  come  and  get 
me  a  peachy  for  I  ivish  to  have 
one  very  much.  Then  the  man 
left  his  work,  and  came  out,  and 
went  to  the  garden,  and  walked 
till  he  came  to  the  peach-tree 
the  little  boy  said,  Father  /  ivas 
only  in  fun;  I  do  not  want  a 
peach  at  all.      Then  his    fatlic* 


;  VNE    SCOTT  13 

was  displeased  and  said,  You  are 
a  bad  boy,  for  you  have  trifled 
with  me,  and  what  you  said  to 
me  was  not  true. 

Jane.  The  little  boy  was  a  bad 
Doy. 

Mr.  Bell  Why  so  ? 

Jane.  Because  he  told  his  fa- 
ther a  lie. 

Mr.  Bell.  What  lie  did  he  tell? 

Jane.  Why,  sir,  he  told  his  fa- 
ther he  wished  to  have  a  peach 
very  much,  when  he  did  not  wish 
to  have  one  at  all. 

Mr.  Bell.  Now  you  see  how 
people  displease  God  when  they 
pray  without  being  in  earnest. 
Some  children  kneel  down,  and 
say  a  prayer  over,  and  never 
B 


j4  JANE    SCOTT. 

think  of  what  they  are  saying 
Is  that  being  in  earnest  ? 

Jane.  No,  Sir. 

3Ir.  Bell.  Some  little  children 
go  to  say  their  prayers,  and  then, 
while  they  are  on  their  knees,  they 
are  all  the  time  thinking  about 
something  else.  This  is  displeas- 
ing to  God. 

Jane.  Can  God  hear  me,  sir, 
if  I  go  by  myself,  and  pray  in  my 
mother's  room^ 

Mr.  Bell.  Yes,  my  dear  child ; 
God  hears  you  whenever  you 
speak  a  single  word.  If  you 
whisper  it  to  yourself,  God  hears 
you.  If  you  only  think  it  in  your 
mind,  God  knows  it.     He  knows 


JANE    SCOTT.  J5 

it  if  you  do  not  speak  a  word 
aloud. 

Jane.  What  is  the  use  of  say- 
ing any  thing  then  "?  Will  it  not 
do  as  well  for  me  to  ask  the  Lord 
for  what  I  want  without  saying 
any  words  1 

Mr.  BelL  What  do  you  mean, 
my  child  1 

Jane.  I  mean,  sir,  that  if  God 
knows  every  thing  that  I  think  in 
my  mind,  then  I  need  not  say  any 
prayer  with  my  lips.  Cannot  I 
just  sit  where  I  am,  and  pray  to 
God  in  my  mind  ? 

Mr.  Bell.  Good  people  often 
pray  in  that  way.  We  can  pray 
while  we  are  at  work,  and  while 
we  are  walking,  and  while  we  are 


Jg  JANE    SCOTT. 

lying  awake  in  bed.  But  then  il 
is  right  to  pray  with  words  also 
Whenever  we  go  to  any  place, 
by  our  ourselves,  to  pray,  we 
ought  to  forget  every  thing  else. 
If  you  try  to  pray  without  saying 
any  words  aloud,  you  will  perhaps 
forget  what  you  are  praying 
about.  When  you  pray  aloud, 
you  will  have  to  think  of  what 
you  are  asking. 

Jane,  I  do  not  know  what  you 
mean,  sir. 

Mr,  Bell.  I  will  show  you 
what  I  mean.  Just  try  to  think 
of  all  you  have  been  doing  to- 
day.— Now  begin.  Think  over  in 
your  mind  all  the  things  you  have 
done  this  morning. — I  will  wait 


JANE    SCOTT.  17 

five  minutes.  Here  is  my  watch 
When  this  long  hand  gets  from 
this  mark  to  that  mark  on  the 
watch,  it  will  be  five  minutes. 
Now  begin. 


When  the  five  minutes  were 
over,  Mr.  Bell  said  quickly,  Stop  ! 


Now  what  are  you  thinking  about  ? 
Have  you  thought  of  all  you  have 
been  doing  to-day  ? 

Jane.    Oh   dear!   sir.      I   did 
b2 


|§  JANE    SCOTT. 

begin,  but  I  forgot,  and  jusi  when 
you  stopped  me,  I  was  thinking 
how  very  slow  that  little  hand  of 
the  watch  was  moving  along. 

Mr,  Bell,  Now  you  see,  my 
child,  how  hard  it  is  to  keep  your 
thoughts  from  wandering.  When 
your  thoughts  keep  running  away 
from  what  you  want  to  be  think- 
ing about,  that  is  what  we  call  a 
wandering  of  the  thoughts, 

Jane,  But  would  not  my 
thoughts  wander,  if  I  was  saying 
them  all  aloud  ? 

Mr.  Bell.  Perhaps  not  so  much. 
Let  us  try.  Just  begin  to  tell  me 
all  you  have  been  doing  to-day. 

Jane,  Well,  sir,  now  I  will  try 
to  tell  you.     First  I  went  for  the 


JANE    SCOTT.  19 

cow;  and  then  I  fed  the  ducks, 
and  put  water  over  the  fire  to  boil 
the  potatoes.  Then  I  went  to  the 
doctor's  to  get  some  physic,  and 
after  I  came  home  I  ate  my  break- 
fast ;  and  after  I  had  my  breakfast, 
I  sat  down  and  peeled  apples  all 
the  morning  for  mother  to  dry,  for 

market 

Mr.  Bell  That  will  do.  Now 
you  see  that  your  mind  did  not 
wander  so  much.  So  it  is  when 
you  pray  aloud.  The  words  you 
say  help  to  make  you  think  about 
the  right  thing.  You  need  not 
speak  very  loud  when  you  pray ; 
a  whisper  will  do ;  but  most  per- 
sons find  it  useful  to  say  some- 
thing which  thev  can  hear  them- 


20  JANE    SCOTT. 

selves.  I  do  not  mean  to  say 
that  our  prayers  are  not  just  as 
pleasing  to  God  when  they  are 
not  expressed  in  words,  if  they 
are  really  the  desires  of  the  heart. 

Jane,  Now  I  begin  to  know 
what  you  mean,  sir.  If  you  will 
teach  me  a  prayer  I  will  say  it 
over  every  day.  But  I  am  afraid 
the  Lord  will  not  care  for  what 
such  a  bad  little  girl  as  I  can  say. 

Mr.  Bell.  Do  you  think  you 
are  bad,  Jane  ? 

Jane,  Yes,  sir,  indeed  I  do.  I 
know  I  am  bad.  The  Lord  does 
not  love  bad  children.  How  can 
I  pray,  when  I  am  so  wicked  1 
Will  the  Lord  give  me  what  1 
ask  him  for  ? 


JANE    SCOTT  21 

Mr,  Bell,  I  am  glad  you  begin 
.o  feel  that  you  are  a  sinner. 
Jesus  Christ  came  into  the  world 
to  save  sinners.  He  died  on  the 
cross  to  keep  sinners  from  going 
to  hell.  He  is  the  Son  of  God. 
He  made  you,  and  me,  and  every 
thing  in  the  world.  After  he  had 
died  to  save  sinners,  he  was 
buried.  Then  he  rose  from  the 
dead,  and  went  up  again  to  hea- 
ven. 

Jane,  Is  he  in  heaven  now, 
sir? 

Mr.  ^^/Z.  Yes,  my  child.  Jesus 
is  in  heaven  now.  He  loves  sin- 
ners now,  as  much  as  when  he 
died  for  them.  He  looks  down 
and    sees    every   thing   we   do. 


22  JANE   SCOTT. 

He  listens  and  hears  every  thing 
we  say.  He  takes  notice  of  al) 
our  poor  prayers.  If  we  ask  any 
thing  in  good  earnest,  we  must 
always  remember  that  Jesus  must 
help  us  to  ask. 

Jane,  Oh,  what  a  good  Sa- 
viour !     Does  he  pray  for  us  ? 

Mr.  Bell.  Yes.  If  Christ 
does  not  pray  for  us,  all  our 
prayers  are  of  no  use.  "While 
we  are  praying,  Christ  is  [/ray- 
ing for  us  to  our  Father  in  hea- 
ven. 

Jane.  I  am  sure  then  thai  our 
Father  in  heaven  will  do  what 
the  Lord  Jesus  asks  him  to  do 
for  us. 

Mr.  Bell.  Yes,  my  child,  God 


.  ANE    SCOTT.  23 

always  hears  him,  and  does  what 
he  asks.  We  are  so  foolish  and 
bad,  we  do  not  know  what  to 
pray  for,  or  how  to  pray,  but  the 
dear  Saviour  prays  for  us.  He 
takes  our  poor  prayers,  and  gives 
them  to  God  the  Father.  The 
Father  loves  the  Son,  and  for  his 
sake,  hears  what  we  say.  Let 
me  tell  you  a  little  story. 

Once  there  was  a  little  girl, 
about  as  big  as  you  are.  She 
was  walking  in  the  garden  to  see 
the  flowers.  When  she  saw  the 
roses,  and  the  pinks,  and  the  hy- 
acinths, and  the  violets,  she  was 
much  pleased.  Then  she  thought, 
r  should  like  to  make  my  dear 
father  a  pretty  nosegay.     So  she 


24  ANE    SCOTT 

plucked  a  great  many  flowers 
which  she  thought  the  prettiest. 
But  she  also  plucked  a  good  many 
weeds  too.  The  red  and  blue 
flowers  of  the  weeds  seemed  very 
pretty  to  her,  and  she  put  them 
along  with  the  roses  and  pinka 


When  she  came  into  the  house, 


JANE    SCOTT.  25 

she  ran  to  her  elder  brother,  and 
said,  "  brother,  see,  here  is  a  prettjr 
nosegay:  I  wish  you  would  take  it 
to  father,  and  tell  him  that  his  little 
Mary  sent  it  to  him."  "  Yes,  I  will, 
my  dear,"  said  her  brother,  "  but 
first  I  will  take  out  these  ugly 
weeds,  and  I  will  fix  these  flowers 
better,  and  I  will  get  some  other 
flowers  which  are  prettier,  and  then 
I  will  give  it  to  your  father.  He 
will  like  you  better  for  this."  He 
did  so,  and  little  Mary's  father 
was  much  pleased. 

Now,  Jane,  said  Mr.  Bell,  do 
you  know  what  I  mean  by  this 
story  ^ 

Jane.  I  think  I  do,  a  little.  If 
C 


26  JANE    SCOTT. 

I  pray  to  God,  I  am  like  littl*? 
Mary  offering  flowers  to  her  fa- 
ther ;  and  I  ought  to  have  some 
one  to  show  me  how.  Is  that 
what  you  mean,  sir? 

Mr,  Bell.  In  part  it  is.  When 
we  pray  to  God,  we  honour  him. 
He  is  pleased  with  prayers  which 
his  children  offer.  Every  good 
child  ought  to  offer  the  best 
prayers  he  can.  But,  after  all, 
the  best  prayers  we  offer,  are  not 
as  good  as  they  should  be.  They 
have  much  in  them  that  is  said 
amiss,  like  Mary's  nosegay,  wh:ch 
had  weeds  in  it.  We  are  so 
wicked  that  God  is  displeased 
with  us ;  the  Lord  Jesus   Christ 


JANE    SCOTT.  27 

pleads  for  us,  and  speaks  in  our 
favour;  for  he  is  the  friend  of 
every  one  who  believes  on  him. 

Jane,  Can  a  bad  person  have 
a  prayer  answered  ? 

Mr.  Bell.  We  are  all  bad  per- 
sons, by  nature  and  by  practice. 
We  are  children  of  wrath,  and 
we  go  astray,  from  our  birth. 
The  Bible  says  there  is  not  a 
just  man  on  earth  that  doeth 
good,  and  sinneth  not.  Our  sins 
would  cause  us  all  to  be  sent  to 
hell,  if  God  should  not  pardon 
them. 

Jane.  Then  I  am  afraid  no- 
body can  pray  a  prayer  that  is 
worth  any  thing. 

Mr.  Bell.  That  is  true.     Our 


28  JANE    SCOTT. 

prayers  are  not  worth  any  thing. 
They  deserve  nothing.  God 
might  be  angry  with  us  because 
of  them.  There  is  no  merit  in 
hem.  And  this  is  the  reason  why 
we  need  a  friend  in  heaven.  Try, 
now,  to  think  why  we  need  a  friend 
in  heaven  ? 

Jane.  We  need  a  friend  in 
heaven,  to  plead  for  us  and  to 
ask  God  the  Father  to  love  us. 

Mr.  Bell.  Exactly  so.  Christ 
is  our  friend  in  heaven.  He  is 
so  much  our  friend,  that  he  died 
for  us.  If  any  one  was  to  die 
to  save  your  life,  w^ould  you  not 
DC  sure  he  was  your  friend  ? 

Jane.  Yes,  sir.  I  should  think 
he  loved  me  very  much. 


JANE    SCOTT.  29 

Mr,  Bell.  Christ  loves  sinners 
so  much,  that  whenever  they  are 
willing  to  trust  in  him,  then  he 
pleads  lor  them?  and  says  to  his 
Father,  Father  forgive  them 
When  they  pray,  Christ  inter- 
cedes for  them. 

Jane,  What  is  the  meaning  of 
intercede  ? 

Mr,  Bell,  It  is  just  what  you 
said  yourself  It  is  the  same  as 
pleading  for  them.  To  intercede 
for  you,  is  to  tahe  your  part. 
Christ  intercedes,  because  he 
takes  the  believer's  part,  or  speaks 
for  him.  That  is,  Christ  is  our 
Intercessor. 

Jane,  Then  our  heavenly  Fa- 
c2 


30  JANE    SCOTT. 

ther  hears  us  just  because  his 
Son  takes  our  pari  ? 

Mr,  Bell.  True.  Our  heavenly 
Father  hears  our  prayers  because 
Jesus  Christ  prays  for  us.  He 
loves  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  He 
hears  us  for  the  sake  of  his  Son. 
God  is  w^ell  pleased  with  his  be- 
loved Son,  and  for  his  sake  is 
well  pleased  with  all  who  believe 
in  his  Son. 

Jane.  Oh,  sir ;  will  it  be  right 
for  me  to  say  to  the  Lord,  Lord, 
T  am  a  poor.,  wicked  little  girl, 
but  forgive  me  for  the  sake  of 
Jesus  Christ? 

Mr.  Bell.  Dear  child!  That  is 
exactly  what   I  wished   you   to 


JANE    SCOTT.  31 

say.  That  is  praying  in  the 
name  of  Christ  When  you  feel 
that  you  are  sinful,  then  you  feel 
that  you  need  an  intercessor. 
When  you  believe  that  Christ  is 
your  intercessor,  then  you  pray 
to  God  to  hear  you  for  Christ's 
sake.  When  you  ask  any  thing, 
for  Christ's  sake,  then  you  ask 
in  the  name  of  Christ.  And 
when  you  ask  in  the  name  of 
Christ,  you  will  be  heard. 

Jane.  How  do  we  know  that 
we  shall  have  what  we  ask  in 
the  name  of  Christ  ? 

Mr,  Bell.  Hear  what  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  says  to  us.  What- 
soever ye  shall  ask  in  my  name, 


32  JANE    SCOTT. 

that  will  I  do.  We  should  be 
afraid  to  send  our  prayers  up  to 
God's  holy  place  if  Jesus  Christ 
had  not  died  for  us.  But  he  has 
shed  his  blood,  and  now  we  may 
be  bold  enough  to  go  to  the  Lord 
and  pray  him  to  hear  us.  God 
will  hear  us  for  the  sake  ol 
Christ's  precious  blood.  The 
Scripture  says,  We  have  boldness 
to  enter  into  the  holiest  by  the 
blood  of  Jesus, — Heb.  x.  19. 

Jane.  Must  I  always  think, 
when  I  am  praying,  about  the 
Lord  Jesus  ? 

Mr.  Bell.  Yes,  you  ought  never 
to  forget  that  your  prayers  are 
not  worth  any  thing,  until  they 


JANE    SCOTT.  33 

are  offered  up  by  Christ.  Now 
we  have  talked  enough  for  this 
time.  I  will  teach  you  a  little 
form  of  prayer,  which  is  published 
by  the  American  Sunday-school 
Union.  You  must  always  be  in 
earnest  and  think  about  what  you 
are  saying,  or  the  Lord  will  be 
displeased.  Every  day,  go  into 
some  quiet  place,  where  no  one 
can  see  you,  and  kneel  down, 
and  pray  to  God.  And  now  may 
the  blessing  of  God  rest  upon 
you.     Farewell. 


A    PRAYER 

Fw  a  Young  Person  who  earnestly  desires 
fo  love  God. 
Almighty  God,  Thou  art  my  great  Cre- 
ator, and  I  should  fear  Thee,  and  obey  Thy 
commandments.  Thou  art  my  heavenly 
Father,  who  givest  to  me  all  my  daily 
blessings,  and  I  am  sure  I  ought  to  love 
Thee.  Thou  hast  shown  thy  kindness  to 
me,  not  only  in  creating  me,  and  giving  me 
health,  and  food,  and  clothes,  and  friends, 
but,  O,  what  lovingkindness  Thou  hast 
shown  in  giving  Jesus  Christ,  thy  well- 
beloved  Son,  to  die  for  me,  and  save  me 
from  everlasting  misery,  if  I  will  believe 
m  him  and  love  him.  And  .Tesus  also 
"  hath  loved  us,  and  given  himself  for  us." 
O,  I  should  love  my  Creator,  and  blessed 
Saviour  with  all  my  heart ;  but  it  is  so 
hard,  so  stubborn,  it  seems  determined  not 
to  do  so.  Now,  while  I  am  speaking,  1 
feel  as  if  I  hate  sin,  that  keeps  me  from 
loving  my  God ;  but,  O,  I  am  afraid  that 
34 


A  PRAYER.  35 

<vhen  I  rise  from  my  knees,  1  shall  feel 
that  I  love  sin  still,  and  shall  have  my 
mind  full  of  vain  thoughts,  and  soon  forget 
that  1  had  even  a  v^dsh  to  be  free  from  sin. 
O,  pity  me !  pity  me,  heavenly  Father  !  it 
is  a  dreadful  thing  to  have  such  a  stubborn 
heart  as  mine  is.  Thou  hast  said  in  the 
Bible  to  every  young  person,  "  Give  me  thy 
heart."  Heavenly  Father,  mine  is  not  fit 
to  give  to  Thee,  for  it  does  not  love  Thee 
as  it  should  love  Thee.  But,  O,  if  I  wait 
until  it  is  good  enough  to  give  to  Thee,  I 
never  can  do  it.  Take  it !  O  take  it 
iust  as  it  is,  for  the  sake  of  Jesus  Christ, 
the  Saviour,  who  was  perfect  in  goodness. 
Take  my  heart,  merciful  Father,  sinful 
as  it  is.  0,  if  Thou  wilt,  Thou 
canst  make  it  clean.  Lt;t  thy  Holy  Spi- 
rit make  me  hate  sin,  and  love  Thee  ;  drive 
from  me  all  wicked  thoughts,  and  wishes , 
keep  down  my  pride,  prevent  my  passions 
from  breaking  out  into  evil  words,  and 
rash  actions.  I  cannot  tell  how  much  1 
want  Thy  Holy  Spirit  to  do  for  me,  for 


36  A  PRAYER. 

every  day  there  seems  to  be  some  new 
fault  ill  me ;  some  evil  way  in  my  actions 
that  I  had  not  before.  O,  how  wicked  I 
must  be  in  thy  sight,  Lord,  for  thou  art 
altogether  holy  !  I  do  desire,  I  do  pray,  to 
have  my  heart  changed  by  thy  Holy  Spi- 
rit. The  blessed  Saviour  of  sinners  has 
promised  that  Thou  wilt  give  it  to  them 
that  ask  it ;  merciful  Father,  for  his  sake 
give  it  to  me  !  O,  teach  me  how  to  pray  foi 
it,  so  as  to  be  sure  of  having  it,  that  I  may 
love  Thee ;  love  my  Bible,  in  which  I  can 
learn  about  Thee ;  love  Jesus,  who  died 
for  me,  that  I  might  be  made  fit  to  go  to 
heaven,  and  live  there  for  ever  in  happi- 
ness. O,  for  this  dear  Saviour's  sake,  mer- 
ciful Father,  hear  my  prayer ;  and  I  will 
bless  and  praise  Thee  v^^hile  I  live,  and 
bless  and  praise  Thee  better  when  I  die, 
and  am  in  heaven  with  Jesus,  where  there 
is  no  sin.     Amen. 


FATHER'S  STORIES 


THE  LOST  MOTHER, 

THE  BOY  AND  THE  BUTTERFLY, 

THE  BABY  IN  THE  RIVER. 


WRITTEN    FOR   THE   AMERICAN   SUNDAY-SCflOOL   UNIOK 
AND  REVISED   BY   COMMITTEE   OF  PUBLICATION. 


vld.v\ie,o      iV'.'ijcll  AitianJei 


AMERICAN    SUNDAY-SCHOOL    UNION: 

1123  CHESTNUT  STREET,  PHILADELPHIA. 


FATHER'S  STOEIES, 


THE  LOST  MOTHER. 


Artlmr^  (turning  over  the  leaves 
of  a  picture-book.)  Father,  this 
picture  makes  me  sorry. 

Mr,  Herbert.  Why  so,  Ar- 
thur? 


4  father's  stories. 

Arthur,  Because  the  poor  wo» 
man  see.ns  to  be  distressed. 

Mr,  H,  Yes,  she  does.  She 
is  alone  in  the  fields.  The  night 
is  coming  on.  The  sky  grows 
black.  It  is  about  to  be  stormy. 
And  her  dress  is  not  fit  for  a 
stormy  night. 

Arthur.  Why  is  she  out  so 
late,  without  a  hat  or  a  cloak  ? 

Mr,  H,  Poor  woman!  She 
has  lost  her  way.  She  left  her 
house  about  noon,  to  go  over  the 
great  meadows  to  her  father' 
house  Two  of  her  dear  little 
children  were  sick,  and  there 
was  no  house  wittiin  three  miles 


m 


father's  stories. 


She    tjiought    she    would    'eave 
them  for  a  little  while,  and  go  to 
her  father's,  and  get  some  medi 
cine,  and  some  one  to  help  her 
But  she  has  lost  her  way. 

Artliu7\  What  makes  her  fold 
her  arms  and  look  up  to  the  sky  ? 

Mr.  H,  She  is  in  distress ;  she 
is  praying  to  God  to  help  her. 
She  is  afraid  her  dear  children 
will  suffer  while  she  is  gone. 
Her  heart  is  full  of  grief  She 
thinks  no  one  can  help  her  but 
God. 

Arthur  That  is  right;  is  it 
not,  father?  O,  I  am  sure  the 
Lord  will  hear  her. 

a2 


b  FATHER''S    STORIES. 

Mr,  H,  Yes,  my  soiij  God 
Almighty  can  hear  us  always,  and 
he  helps  those  who  have  no  other 
helper.  You  know  there  are 
many  beautiful  stories  in  the 
Bible,  of  God's  helping  people 
when  they  were  in  distress.  When 
poor  Jacob  was  travelling  by  him- 
self, far  from  home,  in  a  strange 
country,  God  took  care  of  him. 
He  had  to  go  away  because  he 
was  afraid  his  wicked  brother 
Esau  would  kill  him.  When  he 
left  home,  his  father  said  to  him, 
God  Almighty  bless  thee  !  And 
God  did  bless  him.  One  night 
he  plept  on  the  bare  ground,  w^ith 


father's  stories. 


a  stone  for  his  pillow.  Bat  he 
had  a  lovely  dream,  which  God 
sent  to  comfort  him.  The  Lord 
appeared  to  him  in  the  dream 
and  said,  "Behold  I  am  with  thee, 
and  will  keep  thee  in  all  places 
whither  thou  goest."  And  so 
God  did  keep  him. 

Arthur,  O,  I  hope  this  poor 
woman  will  find  her  way  home! 

Mr,  H,  Yes,  my  boy,  she  did 
so.  After  she  had  been  praying, 
she  heard  the  sound  of  a  horse's 
feet,  and  presently  she  began  to 
see  a  man  riding  towards  her. 
It  was  one  of  her  father's  ser- 
vants.    He  put  her  on  the  horse, 


•   8  father's  stories. 

and  led  her  back  to  her  house. 
Then  he  rode  to  her  father's, 
and  got  her  mother  and  aunt  to 
come  over  and  help  her. 

ArtJiur.  But  the  children,  were 
they  alive? 

Mr.  H.  O  yes,  they  were  both 
in  a  sweet  sleep,  and  they  soon 
gfot  well. 


father's  stoeies.  9 


THE  BOY  AND  THE  BUTTEE. 
FLY. 


HIS  is  a  very  dif- 
ferent picture, 
said     Arthur 
to   his  father 
in  their  next 
'^^  conversation. 
M)\  Herbert  Tes ;  how  differ- 
ently this  mother  looks !     Here 
her  children   are  well.      Little 
Emma  is  in  her  lap.  Little  Lucy 


10         father's  stories. 

is  at  her  feet.  This  is  whai 
makes  a  mother  happy.  She 
loves  to  have  her  daughters  bj 
her.  No  matter  how  much  trou- 
ble they  give  her,  she  is  never 
tired  of  them.  There  is  no  love 
on  earth  like  a  mother's  love.  O 
my  son,  remember  how  much 
your  dear  mother  has  done  for 
you  when  you  were  a  baby.  Ho- 
nour and  love  her.  Never  grieve 
her  tender  heart.  Do  all  you 
can  for  her.  This  is  well-pleas- 
mg  to  God. 

Arthur,  If  that  littfe  Emma 
had  died,  how  sorry  her  mother 
would  have  been ! 


father's  stories.         11 

Mr  II.  Yes,  indeed.  Not  long 
atio,  I  saw  a  dear  little  child  dia 
in  his  mother's  arms.  A  few 
hours  before  he  was  playing 
about  sweetly.  But  death  came, 
and  took  him  away,  without  his 
being  sick  a  whole  day.  I  felt 
his  sweet  hands  ;  they  were  like 
snow.  I  kissed  his  cheek;  it 
was  very,  very  cold.  His  mo- 
ther's heart  was  almost  broken. 
But  I  will  tell  you  what  would 
have  distressed  his  mother  more 
than  his  death. 

Arthur.  O  father,  what  is  that  ? 
What  could  distress  his  mothc 
more? 


12  FATHERS    STORIES. 

Mr.H.  Itwouldhave  distressed 
his  mother  more,  if  he  had  grown 
up  to  be  a  man,  and  had  become 
a  profane,  wicked  wretch.  There 
are  many  such  sons.  Many 
aged  mothers  are  almost  killed 
with  grief  to  see  their  sons  be- 
come drunkards,  thieves,  and 
murderers.  Solomon  says,  "A 
wise  son  maketh  a  glad  father, 
but  a  foolish  son  is  the  heaviness 
of  his  mother." 

Arthur,  I  hope  I  shall  not  be 
the  heaviness  of  my  dear  mother. 
I  think  I  can  never  do  any  thmg 
to  displease  her. 

Mr  H    Ah,    my   son!     You 


FATHER^S    STORIES.  13 

think  so  now,  but  unless  the  grace 
of  God  change  yo  ir  heart,  you 
will  be  very  different  from  what 
you  think.  Take  tlie  Lord  Jesu^ 
Christ  for  your  example,  and  you 
will  go  aright.  Pray  that  God 
would  send  his  Holy  Spirit  to 
teach  you  and  to  make  you  holy. 

Arthur,  Father,  tell  me  more 
about  Emma  and  Lucy. 

Mr.  H,  I  perceive  that  you 
like  the  story  better  than  the  ad- 
vice I  give  you.  Take  notice, 
Arthur,  the  reason  why  I  tell  you 
the  stories  is  to  make  you  learn 
something  good.     I  wish  you  to 

think  of  God  your  Creator,  your 
B 


14  FATHERS    STORIES. 

Preserver,  and  your  Saviour 
Wlien  you  were  a  very  little 
child,  not  so  large  as  Lucy,  you 
used  to  listen  to  what  I  told  you 
about  Christ,  and  used  to  say 
that  you  would  be  a  good  boy 
and  serve  God  all  your  life.  And 
once  when  you  were  very  ill,  and 
we  thought  you  would  die,  you 
said  you  hoped  you  would  go  and 
be  with  Christ  in  heaven. 

Arthur  Was  I  ever  so  very 
ill? 

Mr,  H,  Yes,  my  son;  I  will 
tell  you  about  it,  for  you  seem 
not  to  remember.  When  you 
were  about   six   years  old,  you 


father's  stories.         15 

used  to  run  about  the  meadow 
before  our  door,  and  try  to  catch 
the  butterflies.  Your  sister  Jane 
saw  you  doing  this,  and  in  order 
to  amuse  you,  she  made  you  a 
little  net  of  thread:  it  was  a  sort 
of  bag,  and  was  fastened  on  the 
end  of  a  slender  stick.  With 
this  you  used  to  catch  the  moths 
and  butterflies.  One  afternoon 
a  large  spotted  butterfly  came 
into  the  green  meadow,  and  flew 
about  the  flags  and  lilies  near 
the  spring.  You  know  there  is 
a  high  bank  over  the  spring. 
Look  out  of  the  window;  there 


16         father's  stories. 

you  see  the  bank;  there  is  an 
old  tree  growing  on  it. 

Arthur,  Yes,  sir,  I  know  the 
place  very  well. 

Mr,  H.  Just  there  you  caught 
the  butterfly.  But  as  you  stooped 
down  to  strike  it  with  your  net, 
you  slipped,  and  fell  down  several 
feet  over  the  edge  of  the  spring. 
When  you  were  brought  into  the 
house,  we  thought  you  were  dead. 
But  you  opened  your  eyes,  in  a  lit- 
tle while,  and  began  to  cry.  You 
were  sick  in  bed  for  more  than  a 
month.  Your  mother  and  1 
thought  our  little  Arthur  would 


father's  stories.         17 

never  get  well,  and  our  hearts 
were  very  much  distressed.  But 
we  tried  to  give  you  up  to  the 
Lord ;  and  we  prayed  to  him  to 
heal  you,  and  promised  that  we 
would  endeavour  to  teach  you  to 
love  and  serve  him. 


18         father's  stories. 


THE  BOY  IN  THE  RIVER. 

Arthur.  The  first  story  you 
told  me  this  morning  was  about 
Emma  and  Lucy.  Father,  please 
to  tell  me  more  about  them. 

Mr,  Herbert,  Mr.  Dearly  had 
three  children, — James,  Lucy, 
and  Emma.  He  lived  in  the  state 
of  Illinois,  where  there  are  g/eat 
plains  and  meadows,  larger  than 
any  you  ever  saw  in  your  life. 
His  house  was  on  the  edge  of 
one  of  these  plains,  near  a  wide 
river.  But  he  spent  very  little 
time  at  home,  for  he  had  to  travel 


father's  stories  19 

a  great  way  off  to  the  lead  mines 
So  that  Mrs.  Dearly  was  left  with 
her  children.  But  her  father  lived 
a  few  miles  from  her,  over  he 
wide  plain  I  spoke  of;  and  the 
river  ran  between  the  two  farms. 

One  day  Lucy  took  little  Em- 
ma out  into  the  fields  to  play. 
She  had  a  little  woollen  ruof  with 
her,  which  had  been  spread  be- 
fore the  hearth.  Lucy  put  Emma 
on  this,  and  dragged  it  about,  as 
if  it  had  been  a  wagon.  This 
sport  pleased  the  little  creatures 
very  much. 

It  is  always  pleasant  to  see 
children  (especially  brothers  and 


20         father's  stories 

sisters)  doing  all  they  can  to 
make  each  other  happy ;  and  no 
one  knows  till  he  has  tried  it 
how  much  of  the  enjoyment  falls 
to  him  who  does  the  kind  act. 

But  Lucy  forgot  that  she  was 
very  near  the  river,  and  went 
on  dragging  the  rug  up  to  the 
very  edge.  And  then,  as  she 
was  lifting  up  one  end  of  it,  poor 
little  Emma  rolled  off, — quite 
into  the  river. 

Arthur,  Was  she  drowned? 

Mr,  H,  Emma  screamed  as 
she  touched  the  water;  Lucy 
screamed  louder  still.  Though 
they  were  much  alarmed,  yet  the 


father's  stories.         21 

danger  was  not  great.  The  water 
was  shallow,  and  full  of  flags  at 
that  place  ;  and  Lucy  soon  found 
that  she  could  crawl  in,  and  pull 
out  the  little  girl  from  among  the 
flaojs.  But  the  wettinoj  made 
them  both  sick,  and  it  was  a  long 
time  before  they  were  able  to  go 
out  again  and  play.  Mrs.  Dearly 
was  thankful  that  her  child  was 
not  drowned.  While  Lucy  sat 
by  the  fire,  with  a  sore  throat, 
her  mother  read  to  her  about  the 
child  who  was  named  from  his 
beinor  drawn  out  of  the  water. 

Arthur.  Oh,  I  know  who  that 
was !     It  was  Moses. 


22         father's  stories. 

Mr,  H,  Who  drew  Moses  out 
of  the  water  ? 

Arthur.  An  Egyptian  maid. 

Mr  H.  Whose  maid  was  this  ? 

Arthur,  Pharaoh's  daughter's 
maid. 

Mr.  H  What  was  the  king's 
dauo'hter  doinc^  at  the  river  ? 

Arthur.  She  came  there  to 
wash  herself,  and  her  maids 
walked  along  by  the  river  side. 

Mr.  H.  What  river  was  it  1 

Arthur.  The  pver  Nile^  which 
I'uns  into  the  Mediterranean  sea. 
It  is  the  only  river  in  Egypt. 

Mr.  H.  How  long  ago  did  this 
happen  ? 


father's  stories.         23 

Arthur.  I  do  not  know ;  pray 
tell  me. 

Mr,  H,  About  thirty-five  hun- 
dred years  ago.  But  where  did 
you  learn  this,  Arthur  ? 

Arthur,  I  read  it  in  {he  second 
chapter  of  Exodus,  and  my  Sun- 
day-school teacher  explained  it 
to  me. 

Mr.  H.  Well,  now  we  have 
talked  enough  for  once :  you  may 
go  out  and  saw  wood  to  strength- 
en your  little  arms. 


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